Protests are being voiced over the Nauru Government's ban on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from entering the country to cover the 49th Pacific Islands Forum in September.

As host, Nauru has accused ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster of false and biased reporting.

Pacific Media Centre reported on July 2, the Nauru Governnment banned ABC and explained that no representative from there will be granted a visa to enter, under any circumstances due to its alleged blatant interference in its domestic politics prior to the 2016 election, and alleged harassment of and lack of respect towards their President in Australia.

ABC aired a documentary in 2016 alleging torture and child abuse linked to Australian government’s offshore asylum-seeker processing centers, which are managed by Nauru. It also published a report, which alleged that Nauru’s President and some of his ministers had received bribes from an Australian phosphate dealer.

ABC News Director Gaven Morris said the Nauru Government should not be allowed to dictate who fills the positions in an Australian media pool.

“It can hardly claim it is welcoming the media if it dictates who that media will be and bans Australia’s public broadcaster,” he said.

Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Nauru’s decision was regrettable but refused to intervene on behalf of ABC.

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, an Australian network of media workers, said their government should pursue the issue with Nauru officials.

“This is an attack on press freedom that our government needs to condemn in the strongest possible terms. Recognizing the sovereignty of another nation does not extend to accepting they have the right to prevent free and open reporting.”

The Pacific Islands Forum is an annual gathering of Pacific Heads of Government to discuss issues important to the region.