The International Federation of Journalists is calling on the Vanuatu government to review its decision to reject an application by the Daily Post's media director to renew his work permit.
The media director of Vanuatu's Daily Post newspaper, Dan McGarry. Photo: Facebook / Dan McGarry
Dan McGarry has lived in Vanuatu for 14 years and has served as media director of the local paper for the last four.
Last week, Mr McGarry was informed by the Labour Commissioner that his application to renew his work permit had been rejected on the grounds that they were trying to encourage the localisation of his position.
But the locally-owned paper has hit out at the government's decision as an attack on media freedom.
Earlier in the year, shortly after the Daily Post published a series of stories about six Chinese nationals, who were detained and deported to China, Mr McGarry was informed that a note had been placed against his employment file.
In July, Vanuatu's prime minister summoned Mr McGarry and executives of the Media Association of Vanuatu to complain about what he considered "negative" coverage.
Vanuatu's Media Association has described the rejection of Mr McGarry's work permit as an unprecedented attack on media freedom in Vanuatu.
The International Federation of Journalists is calling on the government to urgently review its decision and allow Mr McGarry and the Daily Post to lodge an appeal unimpeded.
The federation also called on the government to stop attacking the Media Association of Vanuatu, which it said interfered with journalists' ability to report and the free press.