Stop your bullying, Fiji leader tells NZ

Frank Bainimarama. File photo / Greg Bowker

Fiji's military dictator has sent a message to the New Zealand Government - butt out and stop your bullying.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the expulsion of the New Zealand High Commissioner two weeks ago, Frank Bainimarama told TVNZ last night that Todd Cleaver had to go because he was a representative of New Zealand.

"I didn't throw him out. Did I throw him out? I didn't pick [up] anybody by the coat-tails and throw them out of the window.

"What did I do? I gave him 24 hours' notice and told him [he was] persona non grata ... to tell New Zealand we can't stand any bullying any more."

Mr Cleaver was the third NZ High Commissioner the self-appointed Prime Minister has expelled. The others were Caroline McDonald last year and Michael Green in 2007.

Wellington has imposed travel bans on Fiji officials, which has irked Commodore Bainimarama, who can now not visit New Zealand for rugby matches, visit close family or receive medical treatment.

He told the Sunday programme in response to this: "We're trying to send New Zealand a message. New Zealand has been telling us that they want to destroy our economy, destroy our judiciary and we want to tell New Zealand: Stop there."

The commodore shrugged his shoulders when told Fiji would experience a decline in tourist numbers and its trade would be severely affected. "Well, if there's going to be dwindling numbers because of that, so be it."

He said a 2014 election date was "guaranteed". Two years ago, he had said a poll would be held on December 10 this year.

TVNZ said its interview, which was also recorded by Fiji's Ministry of Information, would not be shown in Fiji as Commodore Bainimarama bans anything critical of his regime.

Asked why he censors the news, he replied: "We don't gag media. The papers are out every day. The radio stations are on, TV stations are on. It's irresponsible reporting that we don't like. [Coverage that causes] instability in the nation, we stop that."

The editor of the 140-year-old Fiji Times, Netani Rika, said officials of the military regime visited the newspaper's offices every day to check the pages.

When first gagged, the Times responded by publishing white space in protest. But the regime soon warned it not to continue doing that.

Since April, 4200 stories have been censored. Mr Rika said they would be kept until they could be printed.