Fiji faces isolation and sports sanctions

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

New Zealand last night warned Fiji that it faces a freeze on high-level political contacts, expulsion from the Commonwealth and sports sanctions if it installs a constitutionally unlawful interim government.

Foreign Minister Phil Goff described as "utterly unacceptable" the apparent surrender of Fiji's Great Council of Chiefs to coup leader George Speight and the likely formation of an interim regime on his terms. Prime Minister Helen Clark said Fiji risked losing all international respect.

She viewed the chiefs' recommendations with "grave concern," particularly the one urging that Speight be pardoned and included in an interim government She said it was unacceptable to New Zealand that Speight looked like going unpunished for his "treasonable actions."

However, Mr Goff doubted that New Zealand would cut diplomatic ties or close the High Commission in Suva, which he said was needed to help those Fijians wanting to get out of the country.

Neither were trade sanctions or curtailing aid programmes on the immediate horizon.

But Mr Goff expected the Rugby Union to consider withdrawing invitations to Fijian teams, particularly to rugby sevens competitions.

However, he said, that might pose difficulties when New Zealand played in overseas tournaments in which Fiji was taking part.

New Zealand would also probably seek Fiji's removal from international peacekeeping operations, blocking a stream of valuable revenue.

Wellington is now pinning any last chance of an acceptable solution to the crisis on Fiji's President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

Mr Goff noted there was still "some distance" to go between recommendations from the chiefs and Ratu Mara's acceptance of them.

"It is not the last word.

"I believe that Mara would still want to find a solution to this crisis through the constitution."

Through the High Commission in Suva, New Zealand will today urge Ratu Mara not to accept any solution that breaches human rights or subverts democracy.

"We simply want to make it clear to Fiji that there would be costs," Mr Goff said.

New Zealand would not recognise the interim government recommended by the chiefs' council, given that such a regime would include Speight, pardon him and other coup leaders, remove Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry illegally and rewrite the country's constitution so that all key posts were held by indigenous Fijians.

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