Fiji rebel's visit to NZ terrible risk, says activist

Former Fijian army officer Ratu Tevita Mara. Photo / Supplied

A Fijian pro-democracy movement says the Foreign Minister's decision to let former Fijian army officer Ratu Tevita Mara into New Zealand this week is a terrible risk and ill-advised.

Murray McCully announced yesterday that Wellington had granted Lieutenant Colonel Mara an exemption to the travel ban imposed on him and others linked to the military regime. He will visit NZ for two days.

Ratu Tevita is at present in Australia talking to the media and to a pro-democracy forum after Australia removed him from its sanctions list.

Mr McCully said he had stopped short of removing Ratu Tevita from the sanctions list, which covers anyone associated with the interim regime, either by position or family.

However, he had agreed to a short-term exemption because Ratu Tevita could bring important information on the Fijian regime.

It was not yet decided whether Ratu Tevita would meet ministers.

Mr McCully said Foreign Affairs officials would advise on ministerial meetings after they had met Ratu Tevita.

The colonel, son of Fiji's founding Prime Minister and cousin of the King of Tonga, has been staying in Nuku'alofa since early May and Suva is trying to have him extradited to face charges of making seditious statements in Fiji.


Mr McCully's decision has disappointed Nik Naidu, spokesman for the New Zealand-based Coalition for Democracy in Fiji.

Mr Naidu said Ratu Tevita was associated with human rights abuses in Fiji from his time with the military, including maltreatment of detainees.

Allowing him to enter NZ was insensitive to the relatives now living here of Fijians who had died in custody in Fiji.

"Where do we draw the line, when do we start to excuse or ignore [abuses of human rights]? This sends the wrong message.

"It's a terrible risk and ill-advised. What if he is trying to incite violent action against the regime?

"Is that what we want as a country - violence?"

He said if Ratu Tevita did have important intelligence or information from inside the Fijian regime, he could easily share it with New Zealand and Australia over the phone.

His group would meet the colonel if the opportunity was offered, but would be open about its disapproval.

"Fiji's sliding economy and growing poverty - well, all those things he helped create."

Mr Naidu also questioned the ease with which the exemption was given, saying it took Fijians who were not on the banned list several months to secure visas to come to New Zealand for medical treatment.

Mr McCully told TVNZ's Q+A yesterday that the exemption did not mean New Zealand considered Ratu Tevita to be a "poster boy" for democracy in Fiji.

He said he was aware the colonel had questions to answer over his own actions. "But clearly he has some information to impart."

New Zealand and Australia were aware their actions could result in the further expulsion of diplomats by Suva.

New Zealand had to act carefully so it did not inflame tensions in the region, both within Fiji and between Tonga and Fiji over the Minerva Reef.

The reef is disputed territory between the two countries and Fijian naval ships have gone to the reef after a visit by Tongan navy vessels.