NZ cautions Fiji military over threats

New Zealand's High Commissioner to Fiji is downplaying the likelihood of a military coup there after its defence chief issued renewed threats to remove the Government.

However the New Zealand Government said yesterday that the military should have "no direct role to play in the political life of any democratic country".

Tension between military chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama and the Fiji Government rose after Christmas, culminating in the commander's threat at the weekend.

The bad blood stems primarily from differences of opinion over the handling of those involved in the 2000 coup and the commander's belief that Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's Government is overly sympathetic to the plotters.

Accusing the Government of imposing divisive racist policies, Commodore Bainimarama said in a statement on Sunday: "If they lack the moral strength and the courage to continue the good fight, the military is willing to return and complete for this nation the responsibilities we gave this Government in 2000 and 2001."

Speaking from Suva yesterday, High Commissioner Michael Green said that while Commodore Bainimarama was "ratcheting things up again", it was unlikely to result in any particular action.

"There's not a lot to be said. This is part of a continuing difference of view that the commander has with the Government.

"Looking out the window, Suva looks much the same as it usually does. It's not particularly troubled by this.

"The only reactions I've seen or heard are from one or two tourist and industry leaders suggesting that this, if reported overseas, won't do a lot of good for Fiji tourism and investor confidence," Mr Green said.

"But it's pretty low-key here. It's mainly a case of newspaper headline exchanges as much as anything."

The high commissioner said "similar suggestions" had been made over the past 10 months.

The latest clash arose when Commodore Bainimarama accused the Home Affairs Ministry of dragging its heels over the appointment of a judge advocate to retry soldiers convicted of mutiny after the coup.

It followed an appeal court ruling that the courts were improperly constituted during the trials.

Commodore Bainimarama's irritation increased when the soldiers scheduled to be retried were released on bail over Christmas, Mr Green said.

The weekend threat followed criticism by Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Pita Nacuva that the feud was petty and a case of sour grapes on the military's part.

"It is obvious from Nacuva's comments that the Government makes light of the sour relationship between the Government and the Army in past years," the defence chief said.

"The Government would be very naive to underestimate the intention of the military in this instance."

Mr Green said a meeting between the commander and the Vice-President was planned.

Yesterday, the NZ Government's duty minister, Chris Carter, said Wellington regretted Commodore Bainimarama's comments.

"New Zealand's view is that the military has no direct role to play in the political life of any democratic country."

The military assumed emergency powers in 2000 when rebels overthrew a Government dominated by ethnic Indians. Mr Qarase's interim administration. His Government won elections held the following year.

Tensions between native Fijians and ethnic Indians have led to three coups since the former British colony declared its independence in 1970 - two of them carried out in 1987 by the military under Sitiveni Rabuka.