International impact of Fiji condemnation diluted by Chinese aid
Updated
While there's been plenty of international condemnation of Fiji, it appears to be having little impact on Commodore Frank Bainimarama's Government, with aid from China still flowing into the country. While some opponents of the regime are calling for increased sanctions, Fiji's largest neighbour Australia has ruled that out, as sanctions don't seem to be getting the intended results.
Presenter Michael Cavanagh
Speakers: Executive Director of Fiji's Council of Social Services Hassan Khan, Lowy Institute Melanesian Program Jenny Heywood Jones, Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith
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MICHAEL CAVANAGH: Ever since the 2006 coup, there have been increased calls for stronger action to force a return to democracy. Most recently Sydney's Fijian Community demanded such things as ending sporting contact and banning Air Pacific flights to Australia. Presently, measures undertaken to try and force change in Fiji include bans on travel to Australia and New Zealand by some members of the administration. Opponents of a harder stance argue it would be the wider Fijian community that would suffer. Inside the island state, the Executive Director of that country's Council of Social Services, Hassan Khan, says now is not the time to take a harder stand.
HASSAN KHAN: Sanctions have been applied for the last two years. They have not been of any impact at all. There are a lot of other countries that are cooperating and I don't think anybody would like to punish their relatives and friends here.
CAVANAGH: One of those other countries being seen to cooperate is China. Its representative attended the swearing-in of Fiji's latest administration. Earlier this year in talks in China, several countries including Australia attempted to convince Beijing that it should work more closely with other donor nations in the region. Jenny Hayward-Jones, who heads the Melanesian program at the Lowy Institute one of Australia's premier think-tanks, says discontent has been rising in Fiji as the effects from the poor economy bites. She says so far, China has been willing to assist Fiji which has undertaken a "Look North Policy" as its ties with Australia and New Zealand are strained.
HAYWARD-JONES: China is the one country that really hasn't commented or sought to engage in active criticism of the interim Government in Fiji since the coup in December 2006 and it has been willing to provide loans and support infrastructure projects. I think Australia will be seeking to include China in the situation in Fiji where it hasn't got many friends and China is one country it regards as a friend. Getting China on side with any regional efforts will be important, but difficult as we've seen in the past."
CAVANAGH: Hassan Khan says contact needs to be maintained, especially with non-government organisations.
HASSAN KHAN: This is a time where people need civic education, people need to understand democracy people need to understand how constitutions are made and how constitutions functions. So all these things, this is the time for us to do, so that people can engage, engage in future dialogues and forums more intelligently rather than just following what some leaders say.
CAVANAGH: Australia is by far the biggest investor in Fiji, and some view this as providing the necessary leverage for change, avoiding the need for more hardline action which Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has consistently opposed.
SMITH: One of the very serious adverse consequences of the move to a military regime in Fiji has been a very serious decline in the economic and social circumstances of the Fijian people. We don't want to add to that. On the contrary, we want to see not just a return to democracy but an economic and social recovery for the people of Fiji.
