Fijian military officer trying to enter NZ...

LT Colonel Mara...

























Fijian military officer trying to enter NZ...











Fijian military officer, LT Colonel, Ratu Tevita Mara, who fled Fiji, trying to enter NZ...

A pro-democracy for Fiji group based in Auckland is lobbying the Government not to allow a former Fijian military officer into the country.

The Coalition for Democracy in Fiji group has drafted a letter which they will send to the Government today.



Lieutenant-Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara escaped to Tonga last month after being charged with sedition.



Yesterday he arrived in Australia and his next intention is to come to New Zealand – hoping to speak with supporters and New Zealand government officials.



The coalition believes Mr Mara should not be allowed to enter the country due to existing sanctions which don't allow Fijian military personnel to travel here.



Speaking to Radio New Zealand this morning, coalition spokesman Nik Naidu said Mr Mara has only recently been part of the Fijian military.



“We should give him the benefit of the doubt, but that in itself is irrelevant,” said Mr Naidu.



Mr Naidu described Mr Mara as "the worst kind of [Fijian] officer" – one who lead arrests, illegal detentions and tortures. He believed Mara was guilty of this for four years before "sour grapes" made him leave, not the decision to change his ways in favour of democracy.



Mr Naidu would like to see Mr Mara be put before a court.



“How can we entertain a person who is perpetrator of heinous crimes?” asked Mr Naidu.



The letter questions if the Government will relax their sanctions on members of the Fijian military, and if so, when.



Acknowledgements: TV 3 News


http://huttriver.blog.co.uk/

Heavy surveillance of Fijian people by illegal Fijian military regime...

Surveillance of Fijian people by illegal Fijian military regime...

Could New Zealand's elite special forces units, the SAS, be called in to restore democracy in Fiji. God help the Fijian military if this happens. The NZ SAS is one of the premier special forces units in the world.

Prominent Auckland lawyer Peter Williams QC says there is no doubt heavy surveillance is going on in Fiji. He says phones are being tapped and emails intercepted, meaning there is no confidential communication at all.

Mr Williams says the Fijian military is actively spying on people and has been for some time. He says it is affecting the work of lawyers in the island nation.

"It means a lot of the lawyers are afraid to use phones for anything confidential . . . they're just afraid to put anything that might be interpreted adversely."

Mr Williams says all freedoms people are used to, have been abolished, and comprehensive files are held on people who are deemed to be anti-government.

The New Zealand Government is continuing to suggest a military option is on the table, if the situation worsens in Fiji. Prime Minister John Key has raised the suggestion, but also says it is unlikely any troops will be sent. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp expects the Government's contact with Fiji to remain diplomatic.

However Associate Defence Minister Heather Roy says military diplomacy is one of a range of options that could be used.

"It's using the military to best effect to try and help settle some of the problems that we have. We've got a long history, and a proud history actually, with Fiji."

Many New Zealanders appear to be turning away from Fiji as a holiday destination. Figures out today show 2,000 fewer New Zealanders took a short stay in Fiji in in March, when compared to March last year. While fewer New Zealanders are taking overseas holidays overall, Fiji has suffered the biggest drop of any country.

Will military action from without occur in Fiji? Will New Zealand SAS troops be seen in Fiji? God help the Fijian military if that happens!



Acknowledgements:
© 2009 NZCity, NewsTalkZB