(+) Australia and New Zealand's Lack of Diplomacy
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Interim Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
Fiji Daily Post, 26-Dec. 2008.

[Note: This address was given shortly before the expulsion of Acting NZ High Commissioner Caroline Macdonald, who was said to be expelled for reasons similar to Michael Green.]

There has been much speculation in the media about the relationship between New Zealand and Australia on one hand and Fiji on the other and about the acting New Zealand High Commissioner’s stay in Fiji.We want to lay out a number of facts in relation to our foreign relations both with Australia and New Zealand and the other Pacific island countries.The Government wants cordial relationships with all countries of the world. It in particular wants to maintain strong relationships with its Pacific island neighbours including Australia and New Zealand. These relationships, however, must be built on mutual trust, confidence, respect and dignity.Mutual trust, respect and accordance of dignity however, has been lacking by the Australian and New Zealand governments. Their lack of consistency and patronizing attitude towards Fiji and her people and the Pacific in general has been staggering.

In diplomatic terms the High Commissions of Australia and New Zealand have been almost completely disengaged with the Government of Fiji over the past 23 months.The heads of their missions do not engage with the government ministers and the State at a political level.The existence of diplomatic missions is to engage with the country in which they are based. The Australians and New Zealanders have not adhered to this basic principle.

They claim the Government of Fiji is illegal. This is factually incorrect. We have a High Court ruling that states that the interim Government was validly appointed by His Excellency our President. In 2000 both these two governments engaged fully with the then interim Government which the Court had declared was illegal. In 1987 it engaged with the decree-led Government for 5 years, following the removal of the Bavadra Government and the 1970 Constitution.Their inconsistency extends beyond Fiji. When governments were removed in Thailand and Pakistan the Australia and New Zealand Governments continued full diplomatic engagement.

If they argue that there is no parliamentary democracy, the way they want it and that is why they are not engaging with the Fijian Government, then again they are inconsistent. They actively engage with China, with Tonga, with Thailand and with numerous other countries which have different rules for governance, representation, or have had governments removed.

One is then left with the only conclusion that the governments of Australia and New Zealand are simply bullying the Pacific, believe they can engage with Fiji and the Pacific in whichever form they want and we in the Pacific are expected to just sit back like children and accept it.

The abuse of diplomacy has extended to their missions, and not only by disengaging with the Fijian Government but by actively engaging with those who are opposed to the Government. They have been engaged in local politics, they are engaged in creating disquiet within the population. This is why Michael Green was sent back.They have encouraged their local staff to become spies for them. These local staff should be ashamed of themselves for betraying and spying on their fellow country men and women.

This lack of diplomacy would not be tolerated in any other country. The Australians and New Zealanders would not do this in other countries and indeed would not tolerate this happening in their own countries.They believe they can impose whatever they want in the Pacific and with impunity.There is a word for this attitude and behaviour, neo-colonialism.

They do not treat us with dignity and respect. They send their junior staff to the laying of wreaths on Remembrance Day. This November all heads of missions turned up to the ceremony except, Australia, New Zealand and Britain. They have not even spared the dead in their political posturing. It is an insult to the brave men and women who died not only serving Fiji but the allies which included Australia and New Zealand.

When our Prime Minister had a bi-lateral meeting with Steven Smith a few weeks ago it was put to him that the Australian authorities are tapping our phones. He did not deny it. Ladies and gentlemen, the tapping of phones in Fiji is illegal.

It has also become apparent that Australia and New Zealand appear to be dictating to the rest of the Pacific Island countries as to how Fiji should be dealt with. They have even sought to preempt the outcome of the MCG report.It should also be mentioned that the current chair of the forum has been misleading in his comments. He has claimed that he heard about the shift in the March 09 election date through the media. This is not true. The PM sent him a bundle of documents some months back which set out the proposal for the political dialogue forum and the ensuing processes mapping out the road to elections.

Ladies and gentlemen, the reality is that none of the Pacific Island countries treat us in the manner in which Australia and New Zealand do. These two countries are the richest and most powerful in the Pacific. The reality is they believe that their way is the only way even if they have been inconsistent, even if what we want is right and good on a universal basis and for us.The values and systems of equal suffrage, of non-ethnic voting, of having accountable politicians, of equal and common citizenry, of removing systemic corruption cannot be faulted. These principles and values are what this Government wants and shall put in place.

It will not be moved by the bullying tactics of Australia and New Zealand. It wants to engage with Australia and New Zealand on equal and fair terms, and with dignity. To this end the PM shall announce in the next few days the appointment of a special team to engender better relations with New Zealand. We must as a nation and indeed as people of the Pacific stand up to such bullying tactics, we must be proud of our country and not be intimidated.We need to constructively engage with each other but that engagement must be based on respect for the differences between our countries and on respect for each other as sovereign nations.