Bavadra hits at French aid

Press, 9 April 1988, Page 3

Bavadra hits at French aid

By

BRENDON BURNS

political reporter

I French aid to Fiji has been criticised by the deposed Fijian Prime Minister, Dr Timoci Bavadra. Speaking in Wellington yesterday after meeting the Minister of Foreign Affairs,! Mr Marshall, Dr Bavadra said he could not reconcile the latest aid package accepted by Fiji. ! An ! aid agreement worth $11.65 million was signed in Paris this week during la visit there by Fiji’s [Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Dr Bavadra said acceptance of the aid was a disservice to the rest of the South Pacific. “I think for humanity he has i taken the wrong step,’’ he said. “It definitely is. going to weaken Fiji’s stand on nuclear testing I and the New Caledonia case.” However, Mr Marshall said it should not be forgotten that other South Pacific nations had accepted I French aid. He

noted there were more Polynesian nations receiving such aid than Melanesian.

Fiji’s native population is! Melanesian, as are the Kanaks in ! Frenchcontrolled New Caledonia. ’Dr Bavadra declared himself satisfied with yesterday’s meeting, which also included Ithe Prime Minister, Mr Lange, and the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Wilde. An undertaking had been given to allow him arid his coalition party to have access to New Zealand’s new Ambassador in Suva, Mr Brian Absolum, for consultation, Dr Bavadra said.

He and his supporters were not being consulted in the framing of Fiji’s new Constitution. New Zealand and Australia had a role to play, ensuring that the Constitution protected the rights of all of Fiji’s people, he said. Questioned ! about the future status of Fijians who fled to New Zealand to escape the coup, Mr Marshall said this was still

being considered. Any decision on whether those in New Zealand could stay here had to be taken very carefully to ensure that everyone was treated fairly. “There is a general agreement that violations of human rights which were to some extent there some months ago are not as serious now and have rather fallen away.” However, Dr Bavadra said Fiji was not back to normal.

“There are things amiss and Indians are being the target of most of this.”

Mr Marshall seemed to rule out any visit to New Zealand by Brigadier Sitiveni Rabuka, who wants to tour here and Australia to promote his book, "No Other Way.” “I think Brigadier Rabuka is beginning to get the impression that a visit to Australia and New Zealand is not particularly appropriate at the moment.”

No formal application for a visit had yet been received from Brigadier Rabuka, Mr Marshall said.