Wellington  - Censors in the South Pacific island state of Samoa banned the movie Milk, based on the life of gay activist Harvey Milk, which won a best actor Oscar for Sean Penn, according to a report from the capital, Apia.

Principal Censor Leiataua Niuapu Faaui confirmed the board had rejected an application for DVDs of Milk to be distributed in movie stores but refused to give a reason, the New Zealand Herald reported on its website.

"There are rules and guidelines for these things," he said.

The report quoted Ken Moala, a well-known human rights activist in Samoa, as saying, "I do not think it should be banned. It is basically a documentary about the human endeavour to conquer something that people tend to discriminate against."

"It's about vulnerable groups, how they are often marginalized, and they have every right to be part of society, especially in becoming public servants or figure heads in society," Moala said. (dpa)