Fiji's interim prime minister Frank Bainimarama says freedom of speech causes trouble and is to blame for the country's political turmoil.

Commodore Bainimarama has imposed tough restrictions on local and international media in Fiji, including stationing military censors in newsrooms and deporting ABC journalist Sean Dorney back to Australia.

This morning his government also shut down ABC Radio Australia's transmitters in Fiji.

Commodore Bainimarama, who first took power in a 2006 coup, says Fiji does not need free and open public discussion about current issues.

"That was how we ended up with what we came up with in the last couple of days," he told Radio New Zealand this morning.

"If we [the Government and the media] had worked together from 2006, we wouldn't have had that happen to us.

"The circumstances have changed. We [the Government] now decide what needs to be done for our country, for the reforms that need to be put in place for us to have a better Fiji.

"We want to come up with these reforms and the last thing we want to do is have opposition to these reforms throughout.

"So that was the reason we've come up with emergency regulations."

Commodore Bainimarama says other countries have nothing to do with the situation in Fiji.

"This is nothing to do with the Australian or New Zealand Governments. This is to do with Fiji and the people of Fiji," he said.

"This is the practicality on the ground. We want changes; we're going to come up with changes; we're going to provide those changes."

The Commodore says media restrictions will be lifted "hopefully in a month".

When asked if a Radio New Zealand journalist could travel to Fiji and report on whatever they pleased, Commodore Bainimarama answered: "There is no need; ask me the questions and I'll tell you".

Top lawyer arrested

Meanwhile there are calls today for the military government to release the president of the Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu.

Mr Naidu was arrested yesterday after he went on ABC Radio and criticised the sacking of the country's judges and censoring of local journalists.

All of Fiji's judges were sacked last week after the President abrogated the constitution.

The supervisor of elections, the ombudsman, the auditor-general, the director of public prosecutions, the commissioner of police, and the governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji have also been removed.

Former Fiji Law Society vice-president Tupou Draunidalu has told AM's Michael Vincent that anyone who speaks out can expect to be detained.

"Yesterday, at about 11 or 12 [o'clock] we were having a cup of tea at a kiosk across the road from the Lautoka High Court," he said.

"A policeman showed up, and they asked if they could have a chat to him, and asked him if he would go down to the station with them.

"He drove his own vehicle there, and they questioned him, interviewed him all of yesterday, then they said they'd keep him overnight.

"It's yet to be confirmed, but I think the line of questioning was that he had called an unlawful meeting of lawyers yesterday at the Lautoka High Court.

"That's the allegation under the new emergency regulation."

Mr Draunidalu said many people in Fiji were afraid to speak out against the regime's latest moves.

"I don't think you would get too many people to take the risk, and that's completely understandable," he said.

"We're not dealing here with a situation where certainty is to the law.

"We are dealing here with a situation where, you know, there are tyrants, or a tyrant, and there are guns running around. So you speak and you take risks at your peril."