Gay Sex Aussie in Fiji Jail: Protest
The
Advertiser, April 11, 2005
PROTESTERS today urged the federal
government to help an Australian man jailed in Fiji for having gay sex with a
local man.
The small group of protesters today gathered outside the
Fijian consulate in Sydney to picket against the jailing of Australian
university lecturer Thomas McCoskar. The 55-year-old academic was last week
sentenced to two years’ jail for having consensual sex with Dhirendra Nandan
in Nadi, Fiji.
Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, who joined the
small group of protesters, said anomalies between the Fijian constitution and
the legal system were responsible for the unfair jail term.
“The constitution stipulates that you can’t
discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation but at the same time they have
laws that outlaw gay sex,” she said.
“We are calling on both the Fijian government and the
Australian government to do something about repealing anti-gay laws in
Fiji,” Senator Nettle said.
She said the Greens would take steps to have Mr McCoskar
brought back to Australia to serve out his sentence if necessary but an appeal
was likely.
The Australian government should do more to uphold
international standards on civil and political rights, she said.
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