censorship

Samoa's only cinema revealed the ban on Friday on its Facebook page and employees told local media it was due to the portrayal of gay sex in the film.

In conservative Samoa - where around 98 percent of people identify as Christian - same-sex sexual relations are criminalised, although related laws are unenforced.

Churches also wield considerable influence on communities and institutions.

In a damning report Tuesday, United Nations special rapporteur Michel Forst said several human rights defenders had refused to meet him because of the fear of persecution.

"Many activists spoke of an atmosphere of fear, censorship and retaliation," Forst said.

Forst has just finished a two-week tour of Australia on behalf of the UN's Human Rights Council to assess how well human rights defenders were being treated in the country.

But a month ago, the makers of the film worried if it would ever release, due to censorship issues. BBC Asian Network's Haroon Rashid speaks to Bollywood actors and writers about creative freedom and censorship in India.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked the Udta Punjab filmmakers to make 94 cuts, including removal of expletives, references to cities in Punjab and any shots of drugs being consumed, ironically in a film about drug abuse.