CANBERRA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Professor Brij Lal, Australian National University academic who has been expelled from Fiji, said on Thursday that he will return Fiji some time.

    Lal, a frequent commentator on Fiji, was taken from his Suva residence on Wednesday and given 24 hours to leave the country after publicly criticizing the military.

    "There was no physical assault, but a lot of verbal violence, a lot of foul language, a lot of explosive anger and a clear threat," Lal told reporters at Canberra Airport.

    Lal worries about possible repercussions for his friends and family still in Fiji, saying Australian citizenship may have been his saving grace during the interrogation.

    However, he has vowed to return - and to see an end to the military regime which has ruled Fiji since the December 2006 coup, although he admits that may still take some time.

    Lal sees no immediate end to the conflict in Fiji, saying the military was in full control.

    "The military will relinquish on its own terms and in the time of its own choosing."

    Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has condemned Fiji's latest move, warning that the Pacific nation was on a slippery slope, while the university is also considering making a formal complaint to Fiji.