KEY POINTS:
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon doubts a major uprising to topple Fiji's new military regime will happen in the short term.
Speaking shortly after a London meeting at which Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth councils, Mr McKinnon said it seemed that people making adverse comments against the coup
were being removed from their jobs or sent to outer islands.
"I'm not sure that there's a lot of confidence about people getting engaged in some major uprising," Mr McKinnon said.
He said it was up to the Fijian people whether they spoke out or not.
"They are the people on the ground, they are the people that understand what's happening," Mr McKinnon said.
"They are the people who have got to let it be known what they wish to happen now."
Since Fiji's Government was overthrown last week, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has urged senior military officers and community leaders in Fiji to make it known if they do not support coup leader Frank Bainimarama.
Australia has also urged passive resistance to the coup.
But Fiji's military is stamping out opposition to its regime.
Fijian media have reported that anyone who speaks out publicly against the military will be summoned to the Army barracks and spoken to by senior Army officers.
The Fijivillage.com news website says several prominent people have been called to the camp and told not to make any further statements.
The Commonwealth's suspension of Fiji over the weekend means the island nation cannot take part in major meetings.
Mr McKinnon said the meetings of Commonwealth education, finance, health or environment ministers were extremely useful for developing countries, because they were able to tap into the knowledge of other countries.
"There is a loss here - it's hard to define, but there is a loss," he said.
The Commonwealth's existing technical assistance programmes to Fiji - worth about $1 million a year - will continue but eventually expire.
There will be no new technical assistance unless it is aimed at restoring democracy.
The Commonwealth has also urged its 53 member states, which represent about 1.8 billion people, to take "appropriate" bilateral and multilateral action to encourage a speedy return to democratic governance in Fiji.
Mr McKinnon said the European Union, which gives aid of more than $48 million a year to Fiji, will "think twice" about its contribution.
"The regretful thing is this begins to affect ordinary Fijian people, who I'm sure are not behind this coup," Mr McKinnon said.
He suggested it would take time and perseverance to restore democracy in Fiji.
"The important thing to be able to convey to a military regime is: your regime cannot last forever," he said.
"You've got to find a way back to democracy, and the longer it takes, the more the people will become agitated."
