Fijilive Hibiscus National Appeal No justification in expulsion: NZ
23/12/2008 New Zealand's foreign minister says there has been "no misbehaviour" by its high commissioner to justify this afternoon’s decision by the Fiji interim Government to expel her.
Murray McCully says Fiji officials have not given a reason for Caroline McDonald’s expulsion.
"The New Zealand Government can't deal with these discussions with a gun pointed at its head," McCully told the Associated Press.
He New Zealand's acting High Commissioner in Fiji was told just this afternoon that she had a week to leave the country.
McCully said New Zealand would retaliate by ejecting Fiji's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ponsami Chetty.
Chetty is expected in Fiji on the first flight from New Zealand tomorrow.
McCully said Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama had earlier threatened to expel McDonald if New Zealand did not grant the visa for the son of a senior official in the Fiji President’s office.
The diplomatic spat escalates a rift between the two countries over Fiji military leader Commodore Bainimarama's promise to restore democracy by April next year.
New Zealand, along with Australia, has been heading international pressure on Bainimarama to return the troubled nation to democratic rule.
The latest sparring started when New Zealand refused to grant a student visa to the son of a Fijian official under sanctions Wellington imposed on key members of Fiji's government and their relatives following the bloodless coup.
Fijilive
Reader Comments Name Email Comment Posted Comments
Posted By: abdul
Posted On: Dec 23 2008 20:04:12
Comment: Open your eyes NZ. Can you put pressure on Robert Mugabe? He has ruined his country with high inflation & cholera. But that's ok with NZ, US & allied forces.
abdul Posted By: Ashok Kumar
Posted On: Dec 23 2008 22:07:28
Comment: I am an ex-Fiji resident living in Australia for the last 15 yrs. Fiji is strong enough to go all the way on its own for road map to democracy. A country like Fiji should not go play puppet to Australia or New Zealand in their bully boy tactic.
Ashok Kumar Posted By: Ratu Kulati
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 01:55:24
Comment: Oh Mr PM, how I love thee! No more kissing the kaivalagi's butt!
Ratu Kulati Posted By: epeli
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 04:54:57
Comment: This is not enough. Shut down the NZ embassy. The government should stop talking about Australia and make it very clear that NZ is being singled out because of their "dumb sanctions". NZ is a poor country. They will lose 1/2 billion dollars in trade from Fiji, while Fiji gets very little back. They have more to lose. Let's wake up, NZ is just not important at all. This is not US or China we're talking about.
epeli Posted By: Nick Brown
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 05:32:48
Comment: Why this makes both countries look like petulant little children. I do not believe the Fijian diplomat did anything to justify his expulsion ... as a New Zealander I deeply regret that
Nick Brown Posted By: andrew
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 06:40:47
Comment: Pure bully on New Zealand's part.
andrew Posted By: boe
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 07:07:08
Comment: I think the biggest loser here is NZ for being stubborn. The actions of the Fiji Govt is not hostile, but the reactions from NZ seems pretty hostile. It's like they haven't got their way so they are retaliating.
boe Posted By: jioji
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 10:19:19
Comment: epeli, NZ is not a poor country. Why do you think a lot of Fijians are lining up up to leave Fiji and settle in NZ? And have you read the statistics regarding poverty in Fiji? Your narrow mindedness shows how naive you are. Or perhaps your visa was declined, sour grapes ay kemuni haha.
jioji Posted By: Raj Sharma
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 10:30:40
Comment: Fiji should also impose a ban on all imports from New Zealand into Fiji. In any event middle class and low income earners cannot afford to buy goods imported from NZ so this will make the New Zealand businessman to jump. It's time this action is taken.
Raj Sharma Posted By: Paula
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 11:40:36
Comment: This nation is full of hatred and jealousy, even up to those who's hosting this blog. They only select views that support the interim regime and those that support hatred against either NZ or Aust govt to be published. But we at least we all know that this action is foolish to the highest standard for a normal human being.
Paula Posted By: sereyawa
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 11:44:34
Comment: The NZ Foreign Minister should give us a reason why civil servants can't be allowed to travel to NZ. These were people who were employed before the coup took place. What have their family members got to do with travel bans placed on their parents. At the end of the day people in Fiji need to feed their families, it means they need a job - is the NZ Govt willing to employ them? Do I watch my family go hungry just for the sake of travelling to NZ or Australia? Absolute rubbish - it won't achieve its aim because it has not worked in other countries with almost a similar situation to Fiji. Guess what it will increase our resolve to stand up to you guys that's for sure and maybe pickup a millilitre of hatred along the way. It just goes to show with all the wisdom you white fellows have none of you know how to tackle Frank - you hit him around the legs - so far your high tackles have not worked - Frank is skilled in the art of ducking. Further advice from me on this matter requires payment of fees.
sereyawa Posted By: jioji
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 12:52:24
Comment: abdul, what's this got to do with Robert Mugabe? Zimbabwe is not in the Pacific region, is it? It's in Africa and the African Union has been trying to find solutions but to no avail. It's interesting to read that some MPs in Fiji are calling the expulsion a "national disgrace". What do you think of that abdul?
jioji Posted By: Kaiviti
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 14:32:49
Comment: I was just wondering whether the NZ and Aust Govt stood up like this in the face of Pakistan, Thailand and all those countries that it trades with but had its legitimate govt removed by the military. If not, what a shame ... we are not blind and won't be fooled by your double standards and cowardly tactics.
Kaiviti Posted By: yavita Kotomaimoce
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 17:34:45
Comment: @ ashok kumar ... you should pack up your bags and go back to Fiji. They need your help for building the new military roadmap to democracy. I wish the Australian government would revoke your citizenship/PR so you can go back to Fiji and help the military regime. @epeli ... the sanctions will prevail and Fiji will soon be back in the hands of the leaders chosen by the people to lead.
yavita Kotomaimoce Posted By: epeli
Posted On: Dec 24 2008 19:23:13
Comment: Jioji, you need to take a class in "logic". Abdul was making a point about NZ's double standards, because they attack Fiji but they will never dare say anything against, for instance the militia in Darfur, because Fiji is harmless but most of the world isn't. By the way, those politicians using the words "national disgrace" are looking out for their own good, trying to score points for a future election. Notice that they included Indians and Fijians both. Jioji, you are smarter than that. Frank is the only true son of Fiji, fighting for all Fijians, for Fijian pride and sovereignty. God Bless Frank.
epeli Posted By: to jioji
Posted On: Dec 25 2008 00:16:11
Comment: jioji why can't you see that we are being bullied around by these two so called neighbours. Do you like being bullied around? We Fijians have our own Fijian pride. We don't like being bullied around. It's time we stand up to them. National disgrace - No. A person who sells Fiji's sovereignty to another nation would be a disgrace. Now would you class Frank or Qarase as a national disgrace?
to jioji
Fiji and New Zealand are engaged in a game of diplomatic tit-fot-tat after expelling each other's High Commissioners.

This afternoon Fiji's military regime expelled acting New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Caroline McDonald.  The New Zealand government retaliated by expelling Fiji's High Commissioner to Wellington, Ponsami Chetty.  Both will be given a week to leave the country.

McDonald's expulsion was announced late this afternoon by Fiji's interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who said that it was "a direct result of McDonald's actions over the past year that have been contrary to the accepted international norms of diplomatic  behaviour".

The Fijian government has accused New Zealand and Australia of spying on Fiji, claiming they were tapping phone lines and listening in on members of the interim regime.

The New Zealand government has denied any "misbehaviour" by McDonald.

The round of diplomatic tit-for-tat was sparked by growing tensions between New Zealand and Fiji over sanctions put in place in the wake of the 2006 coup.  Members of the interim regime and their immediate families are barred from entering New Zealand.  Last week the Fijian regime threatened to expel New Zealand's High Commissioner unless the New Zealand government granted a visa to George Nacewa, the son of a senior regime official.  

But yesterday the interim regime apparently backed down on its threat, issuing a statement that it would not expel McDonald and announcing that it would establish a special team to improve relations between the two countries.

McDonald is the second New Zealand diplomat expelled by Fiji.  In June 2007 then-New Zealand High Commissioner Michael Green was expelled after being accused of interfering in the country's domestic affairs.

Last week ONE News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver was deported as she arrived to cover the crisis.

Fiji's military overthrew the country's elected government in a military coup in December 2006.