Downer inciting violence?
Fijian military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama has criticised Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, saying Alexander Downer is inciting the people of Fiji to violence, with the military leader making the comments in an address to the media this afternoon, in which he also asked the media to encourage tourists to return to Fiji.
Commodore Bainimarama has criticised Mr Downer for calling on Fijians to resist the coup leaders, saying such statements would incite people to action and destroy what he calls the peace Fiji is enjoying.
He said Mr Downer’s comments show he has no understanding of the Fijian people and Commodore Bainimarama has called on Mr Downer to keep out of Fiji’s affairs.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Government says it believes Fiji is starting to feel the effects of international sanctions imposed over last week’s military coup, with Prime Minister Helen Clark saying tourism numbers are down, with the resulting drop in cash flow affecting businesses across the country.
She has also defended New Zealand’s decision not to exclude a Fiji team from a major rugby union tournament in the new year as New Zealand imposed a ban on sporting contacts with Fiji as part of wide-ranging sanctions over last week’s military takeover.
But in a notable exception, Fiji’s rugby team will still be welcome at the Wellington Sevens tournament in February, with Ms Clark saying to do otherwise would penalise the hosts more than one participating nation. “The problem is that it would result in the loss of the rugby sevens to Wellington and New Zealand, with massive damage to Wellington.” “This is the single biggest event that Wellington hosts in the year, as far as I’m aware, and so the price would actually be paid by New Zealand.”
The coup has already cost Fiji the rights to host next year’s netball World Cup.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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