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Australia condemns Fiji for "destructive" expulsions |
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20:27, December 23, 2008 |
The Australian government on Tuesday condemned Fiji's decision to expel New Zealand's acting high commissioner just hours after announcing Australia's South Pacific defence adviser would be similarly booted out of the country.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement the two expulsions by Fiji's self-appointed Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama are "destructive."
"The interim government should be focusing all of its efforts on returning Fiji to democracy, not on these destructive decisions which will do no good for the people of Fiji," Smith said.
The row between Fiji and New Zealand began when Bainimarama insisted a New Zealand student visa be granted to the son of a senior Fijian official.
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon also said on Tuesday Fiji's decision to refuse Australia's defence adviser a visa was "deeply regrettable".
The defence adviser had been in Suva on a visitor's visa awaiting a decision by the interim government on his longer-term status. He was told on Tuesday that no visa would be granted.
After the expulsion of New Zealand's acting high commissioner, Fiji's acting high commissioner in Wellington was declared persona non grata by the New Zealand government.
Source: Xinhua
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