Pacific Islands Forum: Rudd Plays Down Calls For Fiji Coup

By Rich Bowden

Img: Pacific Islands Forum logo.


Speaking in Cairns at the annual Pacific Islands Forum, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has rejected calls for an uprising against the recalcitrant military rule of Commodore Frank Bainimarama in Fiji saying he was in favour of a "peaceful" settlement to the problem.

Mr Rudd, taking over as host of this year's Forum, was reacting to comments made by outgoing chairman Nuie Premier Toke Talagi, who appeared to support an armed takeover by the Fijian people to restore democracy.

Describing the military regime's promise of elections in 2014 as "unacceptable" Talagi spoke directly to the people of Fiji.

"Perhaps citizens of Fiji must now rise... to challenge their undemocratic rule of the military regime and restore democracy," Mr Talagi said.

"Their self-imposed road map for elections to be held in 2014 is unacceptable."

However Prime Minister Rudd used his acceptance speech in north Queensland to back away from the premier's comments saying Pacific nations must work together to form a "peaceful solution" to the Fiji crisis.

"I would emphasise in absolutely clear-cut terms the importance of a peaceful solution to the problems which exist within Fiji," he was quoted as saying by Radio Australia. "They are real problems and that is one of the reasons why the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum agreed on a mechanism for the suspension of Fiji."

"...I believe what the Premier of Niue was referring to was that the people of Fiji themselves ought also to be seized of the challenges which their democracy now faces."

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key also backed the Australian PM saying dialogue, not confrontation, was the best course of action.

“You can’t have a good coup and a bad coup, we have encouraged Frank Bainimarama to engage in dialogue with the Forum leaders in Fiji, both with Qarase and with Chaudhry, we think that’s the right course of action, not some sort of uprising by the people against the military coup,” Mr Key told Radio New Zealand International.

Military forces led by Commodore Bainimarama seized power in Fiji in a December 2006 coup. The interim Fijian government suspended the country's constitution earlier this year after a court found the coup illegal and reneged on promises for elections delaying them until 2014.

Fiji has been suspended from this year's Pacific Islands Forum.

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Pacific Nations' Development Should be Prioritised at Pacific Islands Forum: Oxfam

By Rich Bowden

Img: Oxfam International logo.

Aid organisation Oxfam has released a report on the eve of the Pacific Islands Forum calling for development of the Pacific Island nations to be prioritised over a standard free trade agreement. Delegates and press have begun arriving for the annual four-day forum which starts in Cairns, northern Queensland tomorrow.

The NGO report entitled "PACER Plus and its Alternatives: Which way for trade and development in the Pacific?" contends the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER), which is likely to be discussed at the Forum, has the potential to strengthen the economies of the Pacific nations to help them progress economically during the current global financial downturn but only if it covers essential development criteria.

Oxfam said the outcome of the negotiations could: "...support the Pacific to build on its assets, strengthen its resilience during global economic recession, and accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals."

However it warns that "Framed in the wrong way, it could exacerbate the problems of poor economic performance, growing economic hardship and conflict."

Oxfam New Zealand's executive director Barry Coates told reporters that any agreement signed should go one step further that a standard free trade agreement and focus on the Pacific nations' economic development.

“Against a backdrop of the enormous trade imbalance with Australia and New Zealand, and the lack of a strong base of productivity industry in the Pacific, it is clear that a new approach is needed,” he said.

The Oxfam report warns that a standard free trade agreement would be of little use to the Pacific. It concludes that such an agreement would: "...entail high costs and generate little benefit for the Pacific" which would include, "...lost government revenue and consequent reduction in essential government services, regressive measures that harm the poor, a failure to harness the potential benefits from utilising the Pacific’s resources, and loss of the Pacific’s productive capacities and damage to the welfare of its people."

Oxfam warns that the chief obstacle restricting Pacific nations' economic development is the lack of viable supply to available markets. It says any agreement signed should enable the productive capacity of Pacific countries' to be enhanced to take advantage of larger markets in Australia and New Zealand.

The aid organisation has called on additional funding to be made available to smaller nations to achieve these improved productive capacities.

Pacific nations will be looking to place a meaningful free trade agreement on the agenda at the annual summit along with discussions on climate change and its effect on the Pacific region and the restructuring of aid in the context of the global financial crisis.


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