Fiji 'has had enough coups' - Mara

File photo / Greg Bowker

Fiji's runaway soldier Lieutenant Colonel Tevita Mara will be allowed to visit New Zealand in the coming week and says he wants to tell the Government here exactly what is going on in Fiji.

He claimed today he saw Fiji's military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama beat women, but he didn't intervene because he was worried about his own safety

Lt Col Mara fled to neighbouring Pacific island Tonga three weeks ago to avoid a sedition charge, and has begun a round of public appearances in Australia, which he said he was paying for with his own money and money from supporters in Australia and New Zealand.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully, speaking on TVNZ's Q+A programme this morning, said Lt Col Mara would be granted an exemption from a travel ban on Fiji military entering New Zealand for two days.

On the same programme, Lt Col Mara said was not seeking political asylum but wanted to come to New Zealand as soon as a visa was issued so he could speak with the Government about the true situation in Fiji.

"They need to know the reality of the situation on the ground in Fiji. I think they're getting information that's not quite clear to them of what is happening on the ground.

"There are continued human rights abuses going on. The oppression of people continues through the media decrees and the personal emergency regulations that they have in place."

Lt Col Mara said he would not personally try to overthrow Cmdre Bainimarama, but that government or economic pressure would eventually topple him.

"I don't believe Bainimarama has the full support of the military, and as each day goes on, whatever support he has it's slipping away from him. He knows that, and, you know, it's something that's worrying him each day."

Lt Col Mara said he did not want to be another military leader of Fiji. "I think we've had enough coups for the past 20 years."

He said the current sanctions against Fiji by New Zealand and Australia were working, to an extent, but more needed to be done.

"If their intention is to get Fiji back to democratic elections as soon as possible, then they'll have to relook at their plans again."

The Fiji military government is accused of beatings, of torture, of human rights abuses. Lt Col Mara, who took part in the 2006 coup, denied personally taking part in such crimes but said he saw Cmdre Bainimarama beat three pro-democracy women.

He did not step in.

"In the heat of the moment, you know, with people out there, soldiers out there, and the commander doing it himself, you know, you think of your own safety first. How do you stop it when you see the commander himself carrying out those things?"

Other soldiers, not all, also beat and tortured people and in the end they were all answerable for their actions, he said.

"The whole army should be prepared, first of all, to answer to the people of Fiji for their actions in 2006, in particular senior officers."

- NZPA