Fiji troops barred from UN missions

BY MICHAEL FIELD AND TRACY WATKINS

Fiji's military regime has been dealt a blow by the United Nations' refusal to engage its troops in fresh peacekeeping operations.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday confirmed the policy, which has apparently been in existence for some time but not widely trumpeted.

But it does not affect several hundred Fijian soldiers employed at present on UN peacekeeping missions.

The UN has so far resisted calls from New Zealand and Australia to scrap those missions and bring the Fijian troops home early in protest at Fiji's refusal to hold elections.

It is expected to keep rolling those missions over for now, meaning the economic impact of last year's decision on new deployments is likely to be minimal.

While the New Zealand and Australian governments are hopeful of the UN changing its position in relation to existing missions, it is understood they are not expecting swift progress.

Mr Rudd said yesterday that the UN would not engage Fijian troops for new operations, thanks to interventions by Australia and New Zealand.

He made the comment at a joint press conference with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. Fiji had brought the move on itself by suspending the constitution, attacking the independence of judges and curtailing press freedom, Mr Rudd said.

There was initially confusion last night over whether Mr Rudd was pre-empting a UN announcement, or whether he was repeating what was already established UN policy.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said it appeared the latter was the case. "I am not aware that the UN has moved beyond its current policy."

Recent moves in Fiji, however, including the abrogation of its constitution, had made the continued use of Fiji's troops a "deeply sensitive" issue.

New Zealand has been pressing the UN since Voreqe Bainimarama's 2006 coup for Fiji troops to be expelled from UN operations.

In Fiji, police have seized five men, including one of the key plotters in the 2000 George Speight coup, indigenous Fijian politician Iliesa Duvuloco.

Police said Mr Duvuloco and four others had been taken into custody for breaching the Public Emergency Regulation.

The group allegedly distributed pamphlets calling for an uprising of indigenous Fijians against the military regime.

- © Fairfax NZ News