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Govt monitors 'delicate' Fiji-Tonga situation | NATIONAL News
Govt monitors 'delicate' Fiji-Tonga situation
Published: 6:45AM Tuesday May 17, 2011 Source: Newstalk ZB/ONE News
The government is keeping a close eye on the situation between Fiji and Tonga but won't interfere at this stage.
Tensions are high between the two Pacific neighbours after Fijian Lieutenant-Colonel Tevita Mara was picked up by Tonga's Navy at the weekend and given sanctuary in Tonga.
Fiji's military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama is demanding he be extradited.
Prime Minister John Key describes the situation as delicate and doesn't think New Zealand should do anything to heighten that tension.
Key said New Zealand can play its part in monitoring the situation and ensuring cool heads prevail.
Fiji says it has issued an arrest warrant for Mara, who is currently under the protection of the Tongan royal family following an alleged failed attempt to overthrow Fiji's military government last week.
Bainimarama told a press conference he takes strong exception to Tonga harbouring Mara.
He said Tonga's royal family is in conspiracy with a "self interested individual of a despicable nature".
New Zealand's foreign affairs minister Murray McCully said the situation has the potential to "put a lot of tension in play in the region", and will be keeping a close eye on developments.
"It's a pretty unhelpful development in terms of stability of the region because it obviously locks a couple of countries that are very close and very significant in the region into a position of conflict for a time," McCully said.
"Let's hope we can deal with that conflict fairly quickly."