Travel warnings unfair, says Fiji
An AAP report says that foreign diplomats in Fiji are portraying the nation unfairly and should rethink travel warnings, a spokesman for the country’s military ruler has said.
The permanent secretary at Fiji’s Prime Minister’s office, Parmesh Chand, has told the Fiji Village website that some travel advisories about his country are inaccurate.
“Some of the travel advisories – the content of the travel advisory if you read through it – and the on-ground situation, it doesn’t gel,” Chand said.
“I have seen some of those travel advisories where they are restricting people from going into certain areas. It doesn’t make sense because practically there is no threat in those areas,” he said.
Travel advisories warning people of dangers in Fiji were strengthened by Australia and other countries around the time of the military coup in December last year.
“It remains possible that political tensions could lead to violence … There have been many instances of intimidation of individuals and detention for questioning by the RFMF (Republic of Fiji Military Forces),” Australia’s travel warning says.
Amid threats from the European Union, Fiji removed a state of emergency in the country last week, and now wants the travel advisories changed.
“If the public emergency regulations were an excuse then we would like to see what positive steps our neighbours will take to re-impress confidence in Fiji because we have done our part,” Chand said.
New Zealand last week changed its travel advisory for Fiji, saying that while the country was calm, a rapid deterioration including civil disorder and violence could not be ruled out. The advisory says there has been a rise in crime, with robbery, theft and assaults reported by locals and tourists and “There have been numerous reports of intimidation, detention and interrogation involving both the military and the police,” it says.
As TravelMolers will be aware Fiji is calm, has been calm all along and there have been no incidents as described above, so the advisories are a mystery to the Mole, except in reality they are trade sanctions.
The Mole also met with the Interim Prime Minister and the report can be read by clicking on this link. https://www.travelmole.com/stories/1118318.php
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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