The Nauru president insists his country's police force will try to investigate claims of abuse against refugees and asylum seekers but its officers are facing a lack of co-operation.
"They (asylum seekers and refugees) know that an allegation of rape or abuse - irrespective of the evidence or lack thereof - will be reported as fact by some in the media who ignore journalistic integrity in the name of political activism," Baron Waqa wrote in The Australian on Monday, adding that abuse stories were being fabricated because people wanted to come to Australia.
The president defended tight media restrictions on Nauru, arguing that while he understood the importance of transparency "we have a responsibility not to cause unrest, incite violence and create potentially dangerous situations".
