NZ's Fiji mission too short-staffed to help

Murray McCully says travellers to Fiji need to be aware of the situation. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has warned New Zealanders travelling to Fiji they might not be able to obtain consular help if they get into trouble, after the expulsion of the third consecutive head of mission in Suva.

The high commission is closed while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assesses how it will manage its duties on reduced staff numbers and deals with the departure of Acting High Commission Todd Cleaver.

Mr Cleaver was told on Tuesday to leave as a reaction to the inclusion of judges in the travel ban New Zealand has against members of Fiji's interim Government and their families.

Australian High Commissioner James Bartley was also ordered out of Fiji and yesterday, both countries retaliated by ordering Fiji's Acting High Commissioners to return to Suva.

Mr McCully said staff numbers at the Suva high commission were now seriously depleted following the expulsion of three heads of mission since the December 2006 coup.

Asked what travellers should do if they got into trouble, he said they should try to contact the high commission, "but they need to know as things unfold at the moment, we are not able to offer the support we would normally be able to provide".

He advised New Zealanders going on holiday to check the Foreign Affairs travel advisory, which could change at any time.

Asked if the change meant Fiji was more dangerous than it had been to visit, Mr McCully said Foreign Affairs had to warn people the situation was "a little volatile" at the moment.

After Mr Cleaver's departure, Foreign Affairs will have only one diplomatic officer in Fiji - down from three a year ago - and two administrative workers. Two NZAid workers in Fiji could be asked to help out.

Fiji had also refused to let New Zealand replace its police and defence attaches and staff numbers at the high commission had shrunk from 12 a year ago to seven.

Reports from Fiji say Mr Cleaver was given 24 hours to leave, but Mr McCully said the Geneva Convention required a reasonable time to be given. He did not known when Mr Cleaver would leave.

Fiji's Acting High Commissioner to New Zealand, Kuliniasi Seru Savou, and the Acting High Commissioner to Australia, Kamlesh Kumar Arya, will be sent home as soon as practicable.

The travel ban was extended to cover judges in April, after Fiji's judges were sacked and then some were reappointed following the abrogation of the Constitution.

The sackings came the day after Fiji's Court of Appeal ruled that the regime installed by the December 2006 coup was illegal.

Mr McCully said the ousting of Mr Cleaver showed the travel ban was affecting the Fijian interim regime.

Australia and New Zealand have resisted applying wider sanctions - such as measures affecting trade and aid - preferring instead to target the interim government.

* High commission

Now: Total 7

3 Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff: a policy officer and two administration staff.

2 NZ Aid managers (one for Fiji/NZ projects, one regional).

2 Immigration managers.

Until December 2008: Total 12

5 Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff: High Commissioner, Deputy High Commissioner and as above.

2 NZ Aid managers.

2 Immigration managers.

1 Defence Force attache.

1 Police attache.

1 NZ Trade Commissioner.