New Zealand FM warns Fiji of coup

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Friday "there will be serious ramifications" for Fiji if a coup is forced on the country.

Fiji army commander Commodore Vorege Bainimarama Thursday threatened "a peaceful transition" to Qarase Government by Friday afternoon if all his demands are not met.

Peters told Radio New Zealand on Friday that Commodore Bainimarama needs to realize the European Union may block over 400 million U.S. dollars in aid if the coup goes ahead, and foreign peace keeping troops could also be withdrawn.

This week the UN Security Council has expressed its support for efforts to resolve Fiji's political dispute. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also has said that a military coup would not be accepted and Fiji would have to withdraw from all its peace keeping operations.

There are now around 1,000 Fijian troops involved in peace keeping in the Sinai in the Middle East, Iraq and Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands.

Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark also urged Fijian leaders to avert a coup.

She said Friday it should be made clear to Bainimarama that "he will be acting alone" if he carries out his threat.

So far, the deadline for the army's "peaceful transition" has passed and Suva, capital of Fiji, is now stable and quiet as usual.

Jin Renwu, a Chinese restaurant owner told Xinhua that he continues his business Friday and local people come and eat without much worry about a possible coup.

"We had thought about closing the door early in the morning but we see now it's very normal outside, and all other stores are having business now," said Jin.

Fei Mingxing, political counsellor of Chinese Embassy in Suva, told Xinhua Thursday "the Embassy works normally, and the situation has been monitored closely."

Fiji, a South Pacific nation of about 900,000 people, consists of 800-plus volcanic and coral islands. Racial and political tensions since 1987, including three coups, have been an intermittent source of instability of the country.

Source: Xinhua