Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has dismissed as stupid Fiji coup leader Frank Bainimarama's threats of retaliation against New Zealand and a veiled threat against expatriates working there.
On a Fiji government website Commodore Bainimarama, the self-appointed Prime Minister of Fiji, said it had been brought to his
attention that travel bans imposed on "so-called supporters" of his interim government had been widened to include some civil servants.
The chief executive officer appointed to his office, Parmesh Chand, is one of the senior government officials New Zealand has banned from visiting here.
Mr Chand was to have joined his family for a brief holiday.
Commodore Bainimarama said that if Australia and New Zealand continued to ignore and frustrate his Administration, Fiji would consider retaliating.
"We have been acting kindly towards our big brother nations, giving them a chance to accept the situation and help move Fiji forward.
"Both these countries export hundreds of millions of dollars of goods and services into our domestic market. They also have many expatriates here on work permits, working in various institutions and companies."
Mr Peters said that threatening New Zealand expatriates and businesses was stupid.
He said Commodore Bainimarama had been told what steps New Zealand would take if he went ahead with his plans.
"He was well aware what the neighbourhood reaction would be."
Mr Peters said New Zealand had for decades helped the governments and people of Fiji but would not react sympathetically to a temporarily self-imposed dictatorship.
A Foreign Affairs travel advisory on Fiji stands: the ministry would prefer people not to go there, for safety reasons.
