By Eileen Gould

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

CANBERRA, Australia – The foreign ministers of Australia and New Zealand met with their Fijian counterpart, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, yesterday to discuss improving their relations. New Zealand minister, Murray McCully, and Australian minister Stephen Smith, met with Kubuabola to re-open communications amongst these countries, as they dissipated following diplomatic expulsions and Fiji’s suspension of democracy. Smith waived the travel ban that was imposed on members of the military regime in Fiji so that Kubuabola would be able to meet with them. The significance of the meeting was solely to initiate some sort of dialogue with Fiji. Smith indicated that “[i]t may well be that all we agree as a result of the meeting is to speak again in the future.” A statement from Fiji’s Ministry of Information said the meeting was positive and a step towards resolving issues of mutual importance to the three Pacific nations. A Fijian democracy group based in Sydney, Fiji Democracy and Freedom Movement, is urging Australia and New Zealand to include those political parties that were ousted by the 2006 coup in any future discussions. Usaia Waqatairewa, a representative of the groups said, “It is good enough that they are sitting round the table talking because that is a first step towards something positive but at the same time the Australian and New Zealand governments should not compromise on asking these people, if they want to talk about constitutional changes, they have to include people who represent the voters of Fiji.  It[‘]s not going to be a sort of top-down decision that’s shoved down our throats so to speak.” Waqatairewa also mentioned that regarding human rights abuses or the travel ban on regime members and their families, the governments should not compromise. Both McCully and Smith indicated this discussion was not evidence of softening their approach towards the regime. The three Ministers also met last year at the United Nations in New York.

For more information please see:

Fiji Village – Positive talks between Ministers – 05 February 2010

New Zealand Herald – McCully in fresh talks with Fijian counterpart – 04 February 2010

Radio New Zealand International – Call for re-opened talks with the Fiji regime to include ousted political parties – 04 February 2010