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Activist Tama Iti has become an unofficial ambassador to Fiji, meeting the military dictatorship, intent on brokering a deal to ease tensions with its Pacific neighbours.
The impromptu meeting has already been the subject of briefings to Government ministers in Wellington, although has yet to bring peace between Fiji and New Zealand.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters launched a fresh attack yesterday on Fiji coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama, saying his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday gave a misleading picture about the situation in Fiji.
Iti travelled to Fiji with car salesman John Murphy, 42, earlier this month. After being held at Suva airport for "looking suspicious", Iti and Murphy headed for Fiji's military headquarters.
Murphy told the Herald on Sunday that he and Iti introduced themselves and said they wanted to meet Bainimarama.
A short while later, they were sitting with the coup leader and his military aides.
"They said the [former] Fijian Government was wrong to spend money unwisely - on Toyota Hiaces and Pajeros. The country had huge health problems ... and they felt the best way to help the people was to impose military rule."
Having returned to New Zealand two weeks ago, Tama Iti and John Murphy are disappointed with the Government's response. "I rang Fiji the other day and said 'I'm having no luck.' He said, 'Thanks for trying'," Murphy says.
