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Source: ONE News -
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Fiji's military government says it is confident the UN will continue recruiting its peacekeeping forces, but Australia is saying the UN will cease to use them.
The UN has come under fire for maintaining its contracts with the regime's soldiers and sending funds directly to a government that is refusing to return the country to democracy.
ABC News online has reported Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as saying that interventiosn by his country and New Zealand thjat the United nations will no longer "engage future or new Fijian troops for new operations."
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully says the international organisation is being "utterly hypocritical" for continuing its arrangements, especially in light of the latest developments, which saw the constitution abrogated and the regime handed more power.
Several other regional commentators have echoed this stance and called for the UN to at least threaten the non-renewal of contracts.
But earlier on Tuesday Fijian government spokesman Neumi Leweni said that Fijian soldiers will continue with peacekeeping duties.
He told the news website Fijilive, heavily censored under the military's media clampdown, that Fiji would not be affected because the UN hadn't stopped participation from countries like Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
"Precedents have been set, like Pakistan, Thailand, all these are very big troop contributing countries to the UN, so what are they talking about?" Leweni said.
Fiji has two battalions stationed overseas, one posted to Lebanon, Iraq, and East Timor under UN command and the second in Sinai with the Multinational Force and Observers.
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be contacting Australian officials on Tuesday night to clarify the position.
Meanwhile, the government is struggling to get its messages
heard under its own strict censorship laws in which news is vetted
by official regime representatives.
The country's biggest newspapers have responded by refusing to run
all but minor political stories, filling their pages instead with
community news and major issues like swine flu and the country's
failing sugar industry.
The Pacific news agency, Pacnews, has stopped publishing Fiji news altogether.
Underground blog websites run by Fijian journalists, academics and commentators continue to gain strength as more Fijians go online to find out what is happening in their troubled country.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentvaingloriouscoconut said on 2009-04-28 @ 23:37 NZDT: Report abusive post
Like a jedi knight said at the beginning of a certain movie, the whole crisis doesn't make sense. A phantom menace at work? Whoever stands to gain most from this charade are 'the Sith'. Alot of noble talk generating alot of thuggery. Judge by effects, and actions beloved Fijians - not by intentions and words. Time will reveal all.
UP2DATE said on 2009-04-28 @ 19:24 NZDT: Report abusive post
The UN is a joke. Sorry Fiji. The Commodore is a total dictator. Only the Fijian people can change this. It is time to stand up to this madness. Good luck.
Mark Manning said on 2009-04-23 @ 13:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
The Commander is hiding from allegations of and an investigation into , his and others , alleged involvement into the murders of 5 Counter Revolutionary Warfare Soldiers in 2000 . At that time of the civil unrest , some soldiers justified murder of these men by declaring them an act of war and thought that assertion would protect them from prosecution . However , one of those murdered , wasn't even in the vicinity of the camp at the time of the killings of the soldiers in the camp .
Udreudre said on 2009-04-18 @ 18:13 NZDT: Report abusive post
Bula Vinaka, just my comment on media. Actually the news now is much better. Before so much headache. Eg the move to get retirement age to 55. Oilei! If were in Fiji 2 months ago, you will know what I mean. As soon as the news was aired, 5 more related news: the unions, the politicians, close up show. Really very stressful. Our own version of Shortland Street was Fiji one news. Very entertaining but stressful. Even at night, we think, this and that, but now, no more. Only news not noise.
Udreudre said on 2009-04-18 @ 11:46 NZDT: Report abusive post
Actually, our beloved country can survive without aid money. we have land, sea, only thing is we get very relaxed. If we work hard and become independant, we will benefit. I am a landowner and personally if we dont get tourists, it will be good. They bring in their evilways. we have a population of 800,000, yet the tourist number is 600,000 per year!. They may be working as cleaners or maids but they come here and are treated like royalty. My children dont have to be slaves to the tourists.