Diplomatic missions snubbed in Fiji

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 10

Diplomatic missions snubbed in Fiji

NZPA-AAP Suva Six overseas missions, including those of Australia and New Zealand, suffered diplomatic reversals during the two-day visit to Fiji by the Malaysian Foreign Minister, Abu Hassan, which ended yesterday. Mission heads from Australia, New Zealand and the United States missed out on an official dinner, and five lowerranked representatives from two other missions were ejected from a news conference held by Mr Hassan in the Government buildings. Notable omissions from

the invitation list to a buffet dinner at the Suva home of Malaysian High Commissioner, Miss Ting Wen Lian, were Australia’s Acting High Commissioner, Peter Stanford, the New Zealand High Commissioner, Rod Gates, and the United States Acting Ambassador, Ric Sherman, none of whose countries recognise the new Fiji Republican Government. Diplomatic sources said the reason for their not being invited was so as to avoid embarrassment, because Fiji’s Foreign Minister, Filipe Bole, and several of his governing

council colleagues attended. Britain, which recognises States rather than Governments, was represented by its High Commissioner, Roger Barltrop, dean of the diplomatic corps. Among journalists awaiting Mr Hassan at the Government buildings were two women each from the embassies of China and Japan. The Permanent Head of the Fiji Foreign Affairs Department, Dr Jona Senilagakali, saw them sitting at the press conference table and asked them to leave.