Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is expected to fly to Suva with a delegation
of Commonwealth ministers tomorrow as the ACTU threatens to intensify its industrial
blockade of the South Pacific island nation.
The delegation of four representing Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Botswana
will meet Fiji's military ruler Commander Frank Bainimarama on Friday to express
the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group's (CMAG) desire for a quick return
to democracy, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said today.
ACTU president Sharan Burrow said Australian unions may intensify bans on Fijian
cargo unless coup leader George Speight released his 31 hostages from parliament
house and allowed parliamentary democracy to be restored.
'Australian workers in the oil industry refused to fully load a fuel tanker
bound for Fiji in Melbourne earlier this week and the ACTU has warned that further
fuel shipments could be threatened if the crisis is not resolved,' Ms Burrow
said in a statement.
At a meeting of the ACTU-coordinated Fiji crisis committee meeting yesterday,
Australian unions resolved to increase the scope of bans if necessary.
'We are deeply distressed by reports that George Speight has begun withholding
food rations from his hostages,' Ms Burrow
said.
'Mr Downer must now do everything in his power to end the increasingly violent
situation in Fiji, including the use of trade sanctions.'
A CMAG meeting in London last week agreed to partially suspend Fiji from the
Commonwealth and to send delegates to Fiji and neighbouring Solomon Islands
to express concern about the collapse of democracy.
The delegates' flight to Suva was postponed last week at the request of Commodore
Bainimarama.
Mr Downer's spokesman today said the flight would probably leave tomorrow.
Ms Burrow said unions were monitoring reports that Fijian businesses were shipping
goods via New Zealand to avoid
Australian bans.
'We are committed to ensuring that these bans are effective,' she said.
'Self-interested Fijian businesses attempting to avoid Australian bans by moving
cargo via NZ will only encourage us to
consider increasing the scope of the current action.'
She said unions were making good their commitment to ensure emergency medical
supplies were identified and freighted as
quickly as possible.
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