New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has raised grave concern that Fiji Sun Publisher Russel Hunter was deported from Fiji this morning.

Radio New Zealand Reports Clark said the level of intimidation has been rising in Fiji and this is a worrying development. She said to deport a newspaper editor is a serious move and is a disturbing turn of events.

Clark said she will be communicating to the interim government that it should be on a course back towards democracy and not further away from it.

The New Zealand Prime Minister said she is very concerned at this attempt to shut freedom of speech and the media.