Bans 'undermining Fiji'

Bainimarama on Radio Tarana

Reuters

ON THE WAY OUT: Commodore Frank Bainimarama has expelled New Zealand and Australian diplomats from Fiji.

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LATEST: Fiji is accusing New Zealand and Australia of trying to undermine its institutions through their travel bans.

Interim head of Fiji's government Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama - who took power in a December 2006 coup - yesterday ordered New Zealand's Deputy High Commissioner Todd Cleaver and Australia's High Commissioner James Bartley to leave the country.

The New Zealand Government is now considering retaliatory action, possibly sending Fijian diplomatic staff home.

The latest flash point in poor relations with the Pacific country is over the inclusion of judges in a travel ban imposed on members of the regime.

The extended ban has been in place since moves in April when Cdre Bainimarama abrogated the constitution, sacked the judiciary, and imposed measures curbing free speech as well as setting elections back to September 2014.

The sackings came a day after Fiji's Court of Appeal found Cdre Bainimarama's regime was illegally appointed.

But Fiji's interim attorney general Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum said the judiciary was independent and had to be reappointed as they no longer had authority once the constitution was gone.

"They weren't sacked," he told Radio New Zealand.

He accused the Australian and New Zealand governments of trying to frustrate the judiciary.

"Is it some form of concerted effort to try and essentially undermine all these institutions in Fiji?" he said.

"...the continued interference by the Australian and New Zealand governments in the independent judiciary is something that has brought about, precipitated, this action."

The important thing was how the judiciary functioned and there was no political interference, he said.

"Please give us a single shred of evidence to show that the judiciary is being interfered with by the executive. That is the real test."

The issue came to a head because of a letter New Zealand Immigration sent to Fijian judge Anjala Wati. She was eventually granted an exemption to come to New Zealand so her child could get medical treatment.

Mr Sayed-Khayum said the expulsions were not just over the Judge Wati issue but more that the letter to her spelt out the government's policy that judges were considered part of the regime and were covered by the travel ban.

Fiji has been hiring Sri Lankan judges but they were struggling to get transit visas through Australia.

"We want to bring in credible people on judiciary."

Mr Sayed-Khayum said New Zealand and Australia gave lip service to supporting the rule of law but their policies were impacting on Fiji's ability to attract quality personnel.

He questioned the goal of the ban.

"Is it simply a question of personalising matters and saying 'okay we've hurt Bainimarama? Or we've hurt one or two people?'."

Fiji disagreed that elections could be held sooner than 2014, saying an unjust electoral system needed to be redesigned first.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully this morning said the ban was imposed when the interim government sacked the judiciary and reappointed only those who it thought friendly.

In response to Mr Sayed-Khayum's comments, a spokesman for Mr McCully said however he wanted to depict it the judiciary was sacked "and then hand-appointed after the event".

The regime had incorrectly alleged that Judge Wati was refused a visa despite her now being in Auckland while her son was treated.

FIJI RESPONSE

Commodore Bainimarama said in his speech that Australia and New Zealand claimed to be Fiji's friends yet they "fail to understand that we are creating a country that will be based on equal and common citizenry".

"That is why I cannot understand why Australia and New Zealand are engaged in a dishonest and untruthful strategy to undermine our judiciary, our independent institutions and our economy."

When John Key and Kevin Rudd came to power, he thought he would "encounter enlightened thinking and policies based on friendship and understanding".

This had not happened. "Instead all we have had is their heads of missions refusing to engage with government and engaging only with those Fijians who have a political interest in holding Fiji back."

He said he could accept a ban on himself and his senior officers, but he asked why they punished the judiciary.Cdre Bainimarama said the heads of Australia and New Zealand's diplomatic missions in Fiji had refused to engage with the government.

"They misinform Canberra and Wellington and wage a negative campaign against the government and people of Fiji," he told news agencies.

"It is my government's duty to ensure that no foreign government should interfere with such judicial independence and integrity. We must always protect and be proud of our sovereignty."

AUSTRALIAN RESPONSE

Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said his country would maintain a hardline stance against the regime.

"We're not about to simply allow a coup culture to spread," he told ABC Radio on Wednesday, adding that Australia wanted stability in the South Pacific region.

"That's why we'll maintain a hardline in relation to this regime."

Mr Rudd said Australia would maintain travel sanctions on Commodore Bainimarama, other regime officials and their families, and members of Fiji's judiciary.

As for further action, Mr Rudd said, he and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith would discuss "a menu of possibilities" later on Wednesday.

Australia and New Zealand have denied visas to people linked to the military regime since Commodore Bainimarama's coup in 2006. In April this year he sacked the courts and replaced judges.

Jon Fraenkal, an expert on Fijian affairs at the Australian National University, said the latest spat added to the legacy of antagonism between the Fijian dictator and the governments of New Zealand and Australia.

"There's been a whole succession of these diplomatic spats and I think the Commander in Fiji uses these politically in order to consolidate support for his government," he told Radio New Zealand.

He said the expulsion of the diplomats would endanger the rebounding Fijian tourism industry as without consular assistance, travellers would be more weary, adding to an already bleak economic situation.

It was difficult to see a resolution, he told radio New Zealand.

These incidents were used to galvanize support but Australia and New Zealand could not facilitate a consolidation of the government.

"I suppose the really damaging thing about the current episode is that it closes lines of communication. If there is a transition io Fiji, if there is a crumbling of the regime, a move towards greater dialogue or even election, there won't be representation on the ground from Australia and New Zealand to assist that process."
 
He said he did not think Australia and New Zealand could do much to reconcile the situation.

The British High Commissioner to New Zealand, George Fergusson, condemned the expulsion.

"We very much regret this decision. It can only be a retrograde step for Fiji and the region," he said.

- The Dominion Post, with AAP, NZPA,

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nick   #77   05:50 pm Nov 04 2009

stats guy, i guess US trade must not be enough. Key was begging for tourists on letterman. what a hoot, mate. i've never seen a PM stoop so low.

nick   #76   05:47 pm Nov 04 2009

national pride and soverignty more important than a few million dollars. if we face 2 tasman giants in our path, so be it. even if we are destroyed in the end, we ain't going down without a fight. if david faces 2 goliaths, so be it. long live our beloved fiji.

nick   #75   05:34 pm Nov 04 2009

stats guy, looking at your stats, its obvious that NZ has a nasty growing trade deficit with china, nearing close to 3/1. shouldn't you be more concerned about the shrinking worth of NZ assets within the country ? we'll always have our fiji, but china seems to be on its way buying you wholly.

nick   #74   05:25 pm Nov 04 2009

time for a change in lineup. NZ and Aus out. India and China in. The south pacific needs a major neutralizing factor. we bow to noone, especially the tasman 2. chinese naval base in fiji Now !

Keith   #73   04:23 pm Nov 04 2009

If my calculations are correct, it is 22 years since Fiji became a republic. Can anyone tell me how much of that time it has been under military dictatorship?

Bob   #72   04:15 pm Nov 04 2009

NZ and Australia just need to stop all trade and aid with Fiji and leave it at that. I'm sick of hearing about this tin pot dictator.

Gary   #71   03:12 pm Nov 04 2009

Concerned Fijian - Haha you think the ones on P are happy?? Its not for happiness thats for sure, am the majority or NZ frowns upon that horrible drug, we are certainly not happy about having P in this country. I'm rather happy living here still, its just a fact of life allover the world that there is drugs around.

Mike   #70   03:09 pm Nov 04 2009

"Concerned Fijian" - you would probably be surprised at how friendly people are the world over to travellers.

It is almost axiomatic that foreigners in any country receive warm welcomes....yes, even in New Zealand!

I can't see how yuo can possibly think that fiji is the way the world should be any more - 15 years ago perhaps - but since then you've had violent coups, are ruled by a despotic dictator who has opponents arrested and beaten, and can't get the truth published in your newspapers.

that is not the way the world should be!

If you can be happy living with that then good for you. The rest of us don't have to. What's more we are actually able to say that we do not like it....unlike you!

Stats guy   #69   01:53 pm Nov 04 2009

Thanks for your insight B-Fan... But the "scoop" article you quoted is slightly out of context.

Here are the 2008 stats... (these are Billions)!

Australia: $8,737,000,000 imported, and $9,995,000,000 exported, USA: $4,600,000,000 imported, and $4,382,000,000 exported Japan: $3,995,000,000 imported, and $3,613,000,000 exported China: $6,443,000,000 imported, and $2,533,000,000 exported...

The list goes on with UK, France, Singapore, Germany (and more) all topping billion dollar trade relationships with NZ.

Fiji: $71,000,000 imported, $323,000,000 exported.

The reality is, to quote Nick @22, NZ does make billions from trading... but not from Fiji.

But hey, respect that you love your country.

Just take care when you quote stats to win arguements.

Stats guy ;)

Tom   #68   01:12 pm Nov 04 2009

Fiji need to get over themselves, and NZ & AU need to stop giving visas to Fijians all together until they stop this nonsense.

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