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Frank Bainimarama - Source: ONE News -
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Australia will maintain a hardline stance against the regime of Fiji's self-appointed leader Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
"We're not about to simply allow a coup culture to spread," he told ABC Radio on Wednesday, adding that Australia wanted stability in the South Pacific region.
"That's why we'll maintain a hard line in relation to this regime."
Fiji on Tuesday ordered the top diplomats from Australia and New Zealand out of the country within 24 hours.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the military leader who has ruled Fiji since the December 2006 coup, gave both governments a day to recall their envoys over a spat about travel visas.
He accused Australia and New Zealand of sabotaging nation-building efforts by refusing to grant visas to Fijian judges.
Rudd said Australia would maintain travel sanctions on Commodore Bainimarama, other regime officials and their families, and members of Fiji's judiciary.
As for further action, Rudd said, he and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith would discuss "a menu of possibilities" later on Wednesday.
Australia's acting high commissioner in Suva had yet to be
called in by Fijian government officials, Rudd said.
"If they proceed with that action during the course of the day, the
foreign minister and I will be in close discussion about an
appropriate, commensurate response to what the Fijians will do," he
told Fairfax Radio.
"We'll sort that out during the course of the day in a calm and
measured way."
Australia would not allow what has happened in Fiji to become "some
sort of norm for the Pacific at large".
"This man, Bainimarama, has undertaken a military coup, suspended
the constitution, refused to hold fresh elections and sacked the
judiciary and appointed his."
