Australia, New Zealand condemn Fiji expulsion

Sydney, June 15: Australia and New Zealand today said that Fiji remained an undemocratic regime after a 2006 coup and its expulsion of New Zealand's top diplomat cast doubt on its willingness to return to democracy.

At a joint news conference in Sydney, the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand called on all nations in the South Pacific to press Fiji to return to an elected government.

''At every point of contact Fiji has to be reminded that its regime is undemocratic,'' said Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the military chief who staged a bloodless coup in 2006, expelled New Zealand's high commissioner or ambassador yesterday, saying he had interfered in domestic affairs.

New Zealand said its diplomat had done nothing wrong.

''This kind of behaviour makes one wonder as to how serious it is in restoring its relations to some state of normality with the rest of the world,'' said New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

New Zealand, along with Australia and the United States, has been a strong critic of the 2006 coup and reported human rights abuses in Fiji, and has consistently called for elections.

Bainimarama, who remains head of the military, is very sensitive to criticism of his coup and appointed government and has rejected a return to elected government before 2010.

Australia's Howard said the expulsion was unjustified.

''It has done nothing to expunge from the minds of people in Australia a feeling that this is an undemocratic, arbitary, pre-emptory regime,'' he said.

''GREAT AFFECTION''

''Fiji is a country that we have great affection for ... it is just sad that it has fallen into undemocratic hands. We will continue to express our views to that effect,'' Howard added.

Bainimarama toppled the elected government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase on Dec. 6 2006, saying it had been corrupt, racist and too soft on those behind an earlier 2000 coup. Fiji has had four coups since 1987.

Qarase, who remains in exile on his island home and is fearful of returning to the capital, Suva, condemned the expulsion of High Commissioner Michael Green and said Fiji could not afford to further alienate countries.

''We depend more on the rest of the world, particularly New Zealand and Australia, than the other way around. This sort of drastic action is not going to help,'' he told New Zealand media.

Bainimarama said today he wanted to maintain diplomatic ties with New Zealand, despite expelling its envoy.

He said the dispute was with Green, not with the New Zealand government, which could send a new representative.

''Fiji's diplomatic relations with New Zealand remain intact,'' he said in a statement.

New Zealand has said the expulsion was one step below breaking relations and warned of consequences for Fiji.

The Pacific Islands Forum, which groups small island states as well as Australia and New Zealand, said on Friday the diplomatic dispute would adversely affect the region.

New Zealand, Australia, Britain and the United States imposed economic and defence sanctions after the coup. The former British colony has had its Commonwealth membership suspended, just as it did after two similar upheavals in 1987 and again in 2000.

REUTERS

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