Talks to Resolve NZ, Fiji Travel Bans Continue

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Government officials met yesterday after Fiji’s interim government threatened to expel New Zealand’s acting High Commissioner on Wednesday.

Fiji’s interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, announced last week that Caroline McDonald, NZ High Commissioner, would be kicked out of Fiji as punishment for travel bans imposed on Fiji.

Both Australia and New Zealand put into travel sanctions into place to demonstrate the countries’ disapproval of Bainimarama’s bloodless military coup of Fiji’s federal government in 2006. Tensions between Fiji and the Pacific community have increased since a Fiji High Court declared the military coup legal in October. Fiji’s ousted prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, has challenged that judgment, calling it a “miscarriage of justice.” An appeal of that decision is scheduled to be heard in March 2009.

Although Fiji threatened to expel Ms. McDonald yesterday, the countries are still negotiating and attempting to work through the impasse. A meeting was scheduled for 6 o’clock last night, although Fiji officials have not commented on the results of that discussion.

Interim Immigration Minister Ratu Epeli Ganilau has denied, however, that any such request to throw Ms. McDonald out has been made.

“Nothing has come through to me,” Ganilau said.

Meanwhile, Bainimarama has spoken publicly this week, indicating that he will not give into pressure, “no matter how harsh, debilitating and cruel such sanctions might be, even to the poor, the young and the innocent.”

For more information, please see:
FijiLive – No word on NZ envoy expulsion – 21 December 2008

FijiLive – NZ, Fiji seek way out of impasse – 20 December 2008

Author: Impunity Watch Archive