05-18-2011, 01:02 PM
Published: 6:47AM Wednesday May 18, 2011
The government is not ruling out the possibility that the Fiji military man who has fled to Tonga could be given access to New Zealand.
Fijian Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara was plucked from waters off Fiji by a Tongan Navy boat at the weekend. He'd been charged with mutiny and sedition for allegedly plotting to overthrow Fiji's self-appointed leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully has told a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington DC that the government has not made any decisions about the possibility Mara might be given access to New Zealand.
"We simply think that with a dynamic situation of this sort to rule in or out any options at this stage would be unwise," McCully said.
He added: "It doesn't indicate that there's anything in particular on the table."
Clinton said both New Zealand and the United States agreed in talks today that the military junta must take steps to return Fiji to democracy.
McCully repeated that the government is not getting involved in the tension between Fiji and Tonga at the moment and regards it as a bilateral dispute.
"We are heartened by the fact that there are legal processes currently in play rather than anything less constructive."
He said the fact that there's an arrest warrant for Mara for extradition procedings and a legal process underway "has the dispute in the most constructive space that we could expect at the moment."
"We'll keep a close watching brief. I was in Tonga myself a few days ago. We're keeping very close to developments. But it's just another sign that there are real rensions in play within the regions, real tension in play inside Fiji," he said.
Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/fugitive...nz-4177300
The government is not ruling out the possibility that the Fiji military man who has fled to Tonga could be given access to New Zealand.
Fijian Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara was plucked from waters off Fiji by a Tongan Navy boat at the weekend. He'd been charged with mutiny and sedition for allegedly plotting to overthrow Fiji's self-appointed leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully has told a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington DC that the government has not made any decisions about the possibility Mara might be given access to New Zealand.
"We simply think that with a dynamic situation of this sort to rule in or out any options at this stage would be unwise," McCully said.
He added: "It doesn't indicate that there's anything in particular on the table."
Clinton said both New Zealand and the United States agreed in talks today that the military junta must take steps to return Fiji to democracy.
McCully repeated that the government is not getting involved in the tension between Fiji and Tonga at the moment and regards it as a bilateral dispute.
"We are heartened by the fact that there are legal processes currently in play rather than anything less constructive."
He said the fact that there's an arrest warrant for Mara for extradition procedings and a legal process underway "has the dispute in the most constructive space that we could expect at the moment."
"We'll keep a close watching brief. I was in Tonga myself a few days ago. We're keeping very close to developments. But it's just another sign that there are real rensions in play within the regions, real tension in play inside Fiji," he said.
Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/fugitive...nz-4177300
This is some awsome updates, thank you guys. I believe that Democracy Government for Fiji will be the solutions for this nonsense that happen between these two friendly Island.