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Fiji's military commander Frank Bainimarama has threatened New Zealand's exports to the country unless the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs reconsider travel bans on senior officials from the interim Fijian government.
At a press conference tonight Cdre Bainimarama said the government would not be deterred by "intimidating and bullying" tactics of New Zealand.
"I wonder if both (Winston) Peters and (Helen) Clark realise they are potentially inflicting on their own exporters to Fiji by intimidating and creating fear in minds of our local people."
Cdre Bainimarama threatened the retaliation after Parmesh Chand, the new head of the Fiji Prime Minister's Office was denied entry to New Zealand to visit his family.
He added that it was unfair and unjustified for New Zealand to ban civil servants who were "merely administrators of the government machinery".
"Parmesh Chand had no part whatsoever in the December 5 assumption of power by the military.
"He as well as the rest of the civil service have been instead asked to help steer the nation forward."
Cdre Bainimarama called on the New Zealand High Commissioner Michael Green to meet with Fiji's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to explain New Zealand's position.
"Let me stress that if diplomacy does not work, then my Government will be left with no option but to adopt retaliatory measures.
"If New Zealand can bring in so called 'smart sanctions', then there is nothing stopping Fiji in looking at options of its own."
He said he would be sending a high powered delegation of Ministers, senior officials and selected business people to China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia for help in moving the country forward.
The purpose was "an effort to diversify our network of sources of imports, tourists, investment, technical cooperation and inflow of aid", Cdre Bainimarama said.
New Zealand has condemned the overthrow of democratically elected Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, who Cdre Bainimarama accused of being corrupt and causing racial strife by favouring indigenous Fijians over the ethnic Indian minority.
Tonight a spokesman for Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters told NZPA that sanctions would remain in place until the administration took "concrete steps" towards the restoration of democratic rule.
A report on the Fijilive website tonight said the interim government had given itself a five-year timeframe until elections would have to be held.
The spokesman said New Zealand was prepared to keep the sanctions in place for as long as necessary.
"If there's going to be an interim administration in Fiji that's not democratically elected for five years then sanctions would stay in place for five years."
- NZPA
