Fiji to expel High Commissioner today
December 20th, 2008 at 10:44 am by David FarrarVery stupid. Fiji is going to go ahead and expel the NZ High Commissioner today.
If Fiji wants the travel restriictions lifted, then they need to make progress towards elections.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:11 am
John Key and his mates must be extremely careful not to repeat Clark’s errors over Fiji.
Vote:We must not steer Fiji towards China, as Clark’s actions could have done.
Fiji is more democratic than the Chinese that we have been cuddling up to.
Bananarama is more rational than Mbeki who has been propping up the dreadful Zimbabwe regime.
Bananarama is more capable than East Timor or the Soloman Islands that we have been pouring tens of millions into.
John Key & mates – be careful.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:51 am
David, I thought you had more brains. You are parroting The Herald’s parroting of one media report from one outlet in Fiji. You’re just three days late. These people have been reporting for three days that the expulsion will take place ‘today’.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Tauhei Notts …. thoughful post which I hope is being read and reflected on in the corridors of power.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Im with Tauhei & Ross on this issue tempting though it may be for a Tit for tat exchange.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
The sooner the expulsion happens, the better. I will be disappointed regardless. I was hoping for Fiji to kick out the entire NZ embassy, and all NZ interests out of Fiji, in essence, leaving New Zealand paralized in the south pacific. A breakdown in Fiji/NZ relations (for the information of the primary blogger) will enormously hurt NZ a lot more. Fiji will miss out on a few million dollars of aid. NZ will lose 1/3 billion dollars in trade plus access to other south pacific markets, its strength in the south pacific will be diminished and it will allow resource hungry china and india into the south pacific and cause havoc for NZ pro environmentalist movement. Helen fooled kiwis by attacking fiji and deflecting the attention off of her labour party’s dubious running of the country and Mr Key way underestimated Frank. How dumb of Mr key, to not even give a thought in regards to revisiting the Fiji issue. I have a hunch that this relationship has suffered the sort of damage that won’t be repaired any time soon, even if Fiji returned to democracy. Too little, too late. The looming cloud of aeteoroa will not be hovering over Fiji anymore.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Oh good, the sooner the Indians and Chinese take over Fiji the better. We can save ourselves a lot of Doillars, we can stop being the refuge for all the Island Nations that can’t feed their own, nor educate their own nor give adequate health care to their own. Great that will be for we just might be able to spend taxpayers money on the taxpayers rather than waste it off shore.
Time we realised that far from being good Colonials making great gains from these territories they are a waste of time and money.
Set them adrift and stop listening to them winge and moan about how well we look after them. We don’t need them.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
It is a mess.
Whose fault is it? Stupid short-term thinking immigration policies of the native Fijians after the 70′s.
The same thing happened to England and on a smaller scale is happening right now in NZ with the Chinese.
The Fijians should get no sympathy and the country should be cast away. See how long it is before they start begging.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Just false flag them already so we can put boots on the ground.
Vote:December 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
My comments at 11.11 am were plagiarised from Stephen Franks blog site.
Vote:They got such a huge response from Kiwiblog readers.
To think that a politician of Stephen Franks’ ability could get “Rogered’ by a fudge packer suggests that Wellington Central is not a nice place for usual people like me to be.
Next time I am drinking grog in Shed Five I will keep my back to the wall. I now know sort of people will be around me.
December 20th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I omitted the word “what”.
Vote:Sorry about that.
December 21st, 2008 at 7:36 am
Viking, I don’t think the Chinese or Indians are going to take over Fiji or New Zealand (BTW indo-fijians are wary of greater influence from India in Fiji’s affairs. They are born and raised south pacific islanders, their culture mixed with polynesian culture and completely different from people from India. They have much more in common with a native fijian or maori, for that matter). But why is NZ so interested in Fiji ? The same way the yanks seeked hawaii. Its central location and size. Fiji may be classified an island, but its of a pretty decent size. It takes 7 hours to go all around the biggest island, so you’re not really talking about kiribati here. But if either of the 2 nuclear powers were to increase ties with Fiji, it allows them to explore for resources, that’s what this whole thing is all about. New Zealand has never faced people in its waters that it would rather not have (except for protesting against French Nuclear ships). Is new zealand really willing to play tag with China ? I don’t think so. I know new zealanders are good, peaceful people, and they want no part of “questionable global threats” in its backyard. In Fiji we are thankful to New Zealand for sticking up for the whole south pacific and ensuring that nuclear testing never occured here, and that we were not the French’s wasteland. But, the policies and utter incompetence of Clark and now Key is laughable. We joke in Fiji (being non democratic currently) that there’s something wrong with democracy. It has produced Helen Clark, Mr key, george W, Hugo Chavez, Evo morales etc. maybe democracy needs a makeup !
Vote:December 21st, 2008 at 9:01 am
DPF Wrote”Very stupid. Fiji is going to go ahead and expel the NZ High Commissioner today.
If Fiji wants the travel restriictions lifted, then they need to make progress towards elections”
Mindlessly trying to head them towards elections is not necessarily the answer. Frankie Banana had a point in his statements about getting a grip on corruption and ending the inherent racism in their constitution, and we should have been quietly asking how we could help instead of alienating him and pissing him off. But no, we have a quaintly naive and unrealistic belief in elections for elections sake, and without first establishing the conditions for a free and democratic nation, (which might mean some substantive effort on our part, which no NZ government is ever interested in unless pushed), elections mean nothing.
What is especially stupid is that NZ is trying coercion on a nation when we have no military capacity to back up our rhetoric, short of having the SAS assassinate him and/or his followers. All we will achieve is to push Fiji into the arms of China or other such nations who care not about elections or other such loft ideals, only their interests and those interests may well be opposed to ours.
Vote:Our actions to date are hopelessly short sighted and ineffectual
December 21st, 2008 at 9:33 am
Here’s a thought – apply some realpolitik to benefit the national interests of NZ and Fiji.
1. NZ issues a statement that expressly states “NZ recognises that the Fijian Army is an institution of the Fijian peoples”. This sends two important messages – the Army hierarchy then know its not about them personally, and that if there is a move to democratise, the Fijian army won’t suffer as a result (IE, prosecutions for the Generals and colonels, pay reductions for rank and file etc). Secondly,it sends a message to the corrupt chiefs that they can’t zero sum game with the Fijian Army because NZ won’t see the Fijian Army knackered if the Fijian chiefs regain control through democracy. Implicit in this is that a move towards democratisation would mean an amnesty for any and all breaches of the constitution by senior Fijian military officers.
2. NZ Calls for the Fijian army to issue a timetable for reforms and democratic elections. Don’t be too insistent on elections sooner rather than later. Fijian democracy was hardly the vehicle for freedom that it is here in NZ. Economic and constitutional reforms are more important in the short term for everyday people. If people are free to prosper and free to speak their minds then the actual vote will follow in due course.
3. Once point 2 above has been met, express a desire for the Fijian government to recognise NZ and Australia’s economic, education and social connections through binding agreements/quotas/contracts and freedom of travel. Without forcing Fiji to admit they are in NZ’s sphere of influence, we and they can do much to hug ‘em tight rather than find sponsorship from other states like China.
4. Sports contact – I’d build some much needed friendship between NZ and Fiji through sporting links – high school, military and national sevens rugby would be a good idea. It would take much of the bad blood out of the current relationship.
Vote:December 21st, 2008 at 9:51 am
Morning David. Another day in paradise and still no ‘booting out’ seems to have taken place. That make’s five days of media inspired suspense. It is very unlikely to happen today as Methodists generally don’t deport people on Sunday. And I see the Commodore still prefers NZ made ice cream with lots of nuts so all is probably still very cordial behind the scenes.
[DPF: Yes I agree I should be more sceptical of the media proclamations]
Vote:December 21st, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Food for thought—> ask a Fijian the name of Fiji’s dictator and the answer will be the same, the President of Fiji Soccer, Dr Sahu Khan, who has been at the helm for over 25 years, the longest in FIFA history !!!!
Vote:For NZ, Frank may be the illegal ruler, but to Fijians, there is no bigger threat than Mr Khan. And the threat increases as rugby’s popularity continues to nose dive, and soccer, basketball and UFC style fighting increases in value.