KEY POINTS:
Fiji's leading sports administrative body, the Sasanoc, has condemned New Zealand's sporting sanctions against the country, asking what its athletes had done to New Zealand to deserve such treatment.
Sasanoc president Vidya Lakhan told the Fiji Times: "I can't comprehend what the Prime Minister of NZ is going to achieve by putting on a sporting ban apart from punishing Fijian athletes…
"Did they stage the coup? Did they in any way assist in staging the coup? No."
Wellington has extended sanctions against Fiji, suspending aid and banning sporting contacts.
All members of Fiji's military are now banned from visiting here and no new immigration applications will be accepted.
High-level political contact with any "purported new Government" is also off the agenda unless it is for mediation purposes.
Mr Lakhan said sanctions should be against all those involved in planning and staging the takeover but not against the innocent.
"There are many others [Clark] can think of, but please no sporting sanctions" Lakhan pleaded.
"If anything, at this time we need the help of people such as Ms Helen Clark. We need their understanding, we need their compassion."
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the Government could not overstate how seriously it viewed the actions of military commander Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama and the Fijian Army.
"They must cease their disgraceful acts and restore the legitimately elected Government or suffer the consequences of their grossly illegal acts," they said.
Asked about criticism of the sanctions on National Radio this morning, Helen Clark said while the aid programme was being frozen, a way would be found to get money to poor people in Fiji - through non-government organisations - "rather than having to deal with government agencies when democracy and the rule of law have been thrown out the window".
The sporting sanctions would have an impact because sport was very important to Fiji people, she said.
Tuesday's military coup and action taken yesterday against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, who was taken away from his house in a helicopter, were unacceptable.
United States Ambassador Bill McCormick called on Commodore Bainimarama to immediately allow Mr Qarase and his democratically elected Government to perform their duties without interference.
"The United States has decided to suspend assistance to the Government of Fiji pending the outcome of ongoing events in that country," he said. "As we develop our response, we will continue to consult closely with our key international partners, including New Zealand and Australia."
Helen Clark said Commodore Bainimarama had been told two weeks ago what the consequences of a coup would be and no one in Fiji should have any doubt sanctions would be implemented and remain in force.
The future of Fiji was now in the hands of its people and she hoped Fiji's military realised the impact sanctions would have on their careers.
Mr Peters did not have great hopes that sanctions would work in the short term but believed they would in the longer term as the coup perpetrators realised how seriously the international community viewed their actions.
* Defence Minister Phil Goff planned last night to address a Defence Force graduation course dinner in Trentham, which was to include a Fijian soldier.
He confirmed yesterday that "I've asked that he be told, given the circumstances of the last 48 hours, that it won't be appropriate for him to be in attendance.
"I have got no enmity against him but we have to send a clear message that all of those in NZ on educational training courses have been asked to make preparations to go home."
About half a dozen officers were involved and Mr Goff intended writing to them personally.
BROAD RANGE OF SANCTIONS IMPOSED
The sanctions against Fiji are:
High-level contacts
Ministerial contact with any purported new government in Fiji will not take place unless it is for dialogue and mediation purposes.
Members of any purported new Fijian government will not be permitted to travel to New Zealand.
Immigration
The ban on senior military officers and their families travelling to New Zealand will be extended to include all members of the Fiji Military Force and other individuals connected with the coup.
Fiji's participation in the seasonal employer scheme will be immediately frozen. That means Fiji will be excluded from the scheme designed to help Pacific Islanders gain better access to seasonal work.
No applications from Fijians for entry to New Zealand for seasonal work will be accepted.
The eligibility of Fiji's citizens to take part in future immigration ballots under the access quota has been suspended. This will not affect those who have been selected from previous ballots.
Defence
All military personnel studying, training or exercising in New Zealand (seven are here at present) are being told that they and their families must make arrangements to leave forthwith.
Fijian military officers training with the New Zealand military will not be able to participate in any activities associated with that training pending their departure.
Sporting matters
Fijian sports teams and Fijian sportspeople at all levels will be banned from coming to New Zealand for the purposes of sport, unless international sporting and legal obligations require otherwise.
As provided for in arrangements after the 2000 coup, where New Zealand is hosting an international sports tournament which requires acceptance of international participants, entry will not be banned, subject to those concerned meeting other immigration requirements.
Discussions will be held with New Zealand sporting organisations scheduled to attend international tournaments in Fiji. The organisers of such tournaments (such as the 2007 Netball World Cup) will be approached to assess the safety of participants and the scope for seeking alternative venues.
NZRFU chief executive Chris Moller said the union's understanding was that international tournaments such as the Sevens would be regarded as international sporting tournaments.
Development assistance
The Government has decided to:
Freeze any development assistance initiatives that provide assistance to or are in partnership with the government in Fiji, and review current activities.
Discontinue the awarding of new government-managed scholarships and training.
Review and reconsider New Zealand's assistance to the Fiji Electoral Office.
Suspend the Fiji public sector's eligibility for training initiatives under regional governance programmes.
Review planned support for people in squatter settlements. Assistance might be given through non-government groups or regional agencies.
- NZPA
