Iti activists 'went to support the Fijians'

A group of about 10 Maori activists, including Tame Iti, is back in New Zealand after being turned back at Fiji's international airport.

A member of the group, former Maori Labour MP Bruce Gregory, said the activists went to support the cause of indigenous people, not to try to solve Fiji's coup crisis.

They were detained by Fiji military authorities at the airport at Nadi and then deported. However, their Air New Zealand flight to Auckland was forced to turn back when a bomb threat was received in Fiji.

The Boeing 767-300 was searched without a bomb being found, but the airline then refused to allow Mr Iti and his party to reboard and the aircraft took off without them.

The captain of the aircraft, which landed in Auckland late on Friday, told passengers that Mr Iti and his group were offloaded for "security reasons."

The Iti party had arrived on an Air New Zealand flight in Nadi on Thursday night but got no further than the airport.

It finally left Fiji on a scheduled Air New Zealand flight at 9.15 am on Saturday.

On arrival at Auckland Airport, the activists denied involvement in the bomb threat.

New Zealand's Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji, Nik Kiddle, said the source of Friday's bomb threat had not been confirmed.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said it was an embarrassment to New Zealand that the group had flown to Fiji to comfort and support "a bunch of terrorists" threatening to kill hostages. Mr Goff was not sure whether Fiji authorities had detained the group at New Zealand's request or had made the decision themselves.

"I doubt that the Fijian interim military government would have wanted them to move anywhere out into the community."

Mr Goff doubted whether further action would be pursued by the Fiji authorities.

Fiji military government spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini said the activists were denied entry because they were motivated by political reasons.

"Because they were here on visitors' visas and meddling in the politics of a foreign country, the visa permit was denied," he told FM 96, a private radio station in Fiji.

The same station quoted Mr Iti as saying the activists "came as a peace movement to provide unconditional assistance."

- NZPA