Fiji visitors will be charged if flown out: Goff

By AUDREY YOUNG and agencies

New Zealanders planning a trip to Fiji are being warned that the Government will not pay for their evacuation if the situation worsens.

There is no charge for evacuation flights from the Solomon Islands, but Foreign Minister Phil Goff said yesterday that commercial flights would have to be chartered to evacuate people from Fiji, and passengers would have to pay.

"I don't think that's unreasonable," he told a post-cabinet press conference.

"Where people are caught in circumstances beyond their control, we will do everything possible to get them out and payment won't be expected."

The Australian Navy quickly reversed a decision last week to charge evacuees on HMAS Tobruk after an outcry back home.

The danger in Fiji was highlighted yesterday when shots were fired at a convoy of vehicles carrying coup leader George Speight after it apparently refused to stop at an Army checkpoint in Suva.

The military, which has declared martial law, said later that soldiers fired 20 warning shots, one of which hit a backup vehicle.

Spokesman Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini said the shots were an "over-excessive use of force" and that the military had already apologised to Speight and his fellow hostage-takers.

Speight's spokesman, Jo Nata, said: "We believe it was an assassination attempt by the military."

He warned that the military had put at risk the lives of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and 30 other hostages who have been held for more than three weeks.

"It's a credit to our security people that they managed to contain our people from going out and tearing the place down."

Colonel Tarakinikini said near the Parliament building that the shots were a grave misjudgment "and the soldiers will be investigated and disciplined accordingly."

Mr Goff said that he still expected to join a Commonwealth ministers' delegation to Fiji leaving either Thursday or Friday for a day and a half of meetings, which would not include Speight or his supporters.

The minister said his Botswanan counterpart, who was leading the delegation, had been assured that the delegation could meet military leaders, who had "tightened their resolve."

A week ago they appeared ready to capitulate to most of Speight's demands, including a role in a new government.

"They are now no longer willing in their public statements to entertain George Speight or his supporters as part of any interim government that might follow."

The New Zealand immigration office in Suva is, meanwhile, expecting a rush of applicants when it reopens.

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said the Suva office was closed because of the coup but officials were still processing applications in the pipeline.

She said people were able to travel to New Zealand in emergencies, and immigration officials at Nadi airport were issuing waivers on visas and travel documents.

George Speight talks to IRN's Barry Soper

(10 min).