Fiji to be suspended from Pacific Forum

Fiji will be suspended from the Pacific region's trade and diplomatic group from
Saturday for refusing to restore democracy, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama ousted the ethnic Fijian-dominated government in 2006
and has vowed to rewrite the constitution and electoral laws to remove what he says
is discrimination against the country's large ethnic Indian minority before holding
elections.
Earlier this year the Pacific Islands Forum, made up of 16 nations, threatened to
suspend Fiji if Bainimarama did not announce a date for elections.
Meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Perth on Friday, Mr Smith said given Fiji
had shown no intention on a return democracy, the threat would be instated.
"The effect of the resolution passed unanimously ... is effective tomorrow, the
first day after May 1," Mr Smith said.
"Fiji has shown no intention to return to democracy and on the contrary has torn up
its constitution.
"The effect of that resolution will be Fiji is automatically suspended from the
forums and the meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum itself."
Cdre Bainimarama said there was no need for such action because no one was being
killed in the streets in Fiji, and no nation had ever been suspended from the forum
before.
"If it was up to me, we would remove Australia and New Zealand from the forum.
They're putting undue pressure on the Pacific islands," Cdre Bainimarama said in an
interview with Sky News.
He insisted there would be no election for five years, but offered to talk it
through with the leaders of Australia and New Zealand immediately, provided they
accepted his point of view.
"I'd love to see them face to face."
Cdre Bainimarama also claimed in the interview that Australia has threatened to
invade Fiji.
Australia's defence force chief Angus Houston made the threat in 2006, shortly after
the coup that brought him to power, Fiji's self-appointed interim prime minister
said.
"He woke me up early in the morning to tell me don't ever do anything that will pit
my troops against yours," he said.
"It was a threat, he made a threat."
Cdre Bainimarama also indicated curbs on the Fijian media would continue for some
time, adding the extended emergency measures would include censorship.
"We want this calm to continue for a while.
"If I don't muzzle the press, is it going to bring extra food on the table?"
Fijian newspapers have been allowed to run few political stories or open criticism
of the government since military censors were put to work.
"That's the way things should happen in Fiji - rugby back on the front page," Cdre
Bainimarama said with a laugh