Fiji places travel ban on Howard, Clark
Fiji has imposed a travel ban on the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand.

The names John Howard and Helen Clark have been an included on a watch-list maintained by Fiji's Immigration Department.

Australia has already imposed travel bans on Fiji's coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama, his supporters and members of his government.

from the ABC

Solomon Islands PM accused of blocking diplomat's appointment

Australia says the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, is blocking the start of the appointment of Australia's new top diplomat in Honiara.

Mr Sogavare has twice cancelled meetings to accept the credentials of the new High Commissioner, Peter Hooton, who arrived in Honiara three weeks ago.

Giving evidence to a parliamentary hearing in Canberra, Foreign Affairs official David Ritchie said Mr Hooton can not begin his diplomatic work until the letter of appointment is accepted.

"Solomon Islands Prime Minister has twice cancelled appointments that he previously made with our High Commissioner," he said.

"So the High Commissioner hasn't yet seen the Prime Minister."

Mr Hooton is to replace the previous High Commissioner, Patrick Cole, who was expelled by Mr Sogavare last year.

Fiji

Mr Ritchie has also attacked the "coup mentality" taking hold in Fiji.

Mr Ritchie says clear human rights abuses have taken place in Fiji since the military coup in December.

"I mean, I think we've got to be concerned about Fiji," he said.

"This is the fourth coup in Fiji in under 20 years.

"And we need to be concerned that a coup mentality doesn't take place in Fiji - that people think this is the way you do government."

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Gus: our Mr Clowner is windmilling again... getting red in the face and hot under the collar because some people in some islands are not doing what he wants... Hey... one needs to be patient and understanding of island time... not so different to an old fashioned country mile... but...

Is it possible that Manasseh Sogavare got a better offer from the Chinese? With no strings attached...?

From our ABC

More work needed to save ties with Solomons, says Labor

The Federal Opposition has called for urgent action to restore Australia's relationship with the Solomon Islands Government.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has written an open letter to the people of the Solomons, which was published in Solomons newspapers today.

In the letter he warns that their Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, wants to undermine the regional assistance mission (RAMSI).

But Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, Robert McClelland, says he is not convinced Mr Downer's letter is the best way to fix the problem.

"The effectiveness of a letter being sent after the relationship has broken down has got to be questionable," he said.

"Quite clearly more needs to be done and more needs to be done urgently to establish broader political relationships right across the spectrum in the Solomon Islands."

 

From our ABC

Downer's letter on RAMSI inappropriate, says Sogavare

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has described as undiplomatic a letter from the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, which calls on the people of the Solomons to help save the regional assistance mission (RAMSI).

The comments from Alexander Downer were published as an open letter in Solomons newspapers today.

In the letter he warns that Mr Sogavare wants to undermine RAMSI.

Mr Downer refers to comments by Mr Sogavare as shameful and outrageous, and accuses Mr Sogavare of wanting to get rid of the mission, which involves 15 contributing countries from the Pacific region, including Australia.

"At the end of the day, I think Mr Sogavare's view is that it would be better to get rid of RAMSI and to go back to the situation where the country was basically run by the Malaitan Eagle Force," he said.

Mr Sogavare has told his country's Parliament the right channel of communication to the Solomons Government is through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He says Australia has no right whatsoever to communicate directly with the Solomons' people and the Federal Government has failed to respect the country's sovereignty.

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Gus: Our Mr Clowner is not a diplomat... never was. It seems he just caught the title of Foreign Minister because a lot things are foreign to him... Especially diplomacy which he practices like an eight-footed elephant in a china and glassware retail outlet. And he does not have to pay for the breakages. And our (yuck) Johnnee is pleased with him because that's what Johnnee wants:... His goons to break havoc in someone's shop unless they "pay" protection dues, either in red carpeted brown-nosing or three-bags-full-sir salute. That's respect for ya...