Murray McCully

Wellington, Dec 23 NZPA - Fiji's military leader and self appointed prime minister, Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, was told explicitly on December 16 what to expect if he expelled New Zealand's acting high commissioner.

After the tit-for-tat diplomatic strikes tonight, Foreign Minister Murray McCully released letters between himself and Cdre Bainimarama that followed New Zealand's refusal to grant the visa that was being demanded for a Fijian student.

Cdre Bainimarama reacted to the refusal by telling Mr McCully in a letter on December 16 that New Zealand's claims to want to improve relations with Fiji were hollow.

"In the final analysis, your government, together with the Australian government, are employing bully boy tactics," he wrote.

"You are taking a high moral ground with Fiji in the Pacific when you shirk away from doing so with other politically and economically powerful countries.

"Your government's hypocrisy is most blatant...your attitude towards Fiji and the Pacific in general is condescending and patronising."

He accused New Zealand and Australian diplomats in Suva of behaving in "most undiplomatic" ways.

"They not only are actively disengaged with the Fijian government but are actively working to undermine it," he wrote.

Mr McCully replied the same day, saying New Zealand looked forward to relaxing sanctions as soon as there was a "clear and credible" timetable for elections in Fiji.

"Any expulsion of New Zealand's acting high commissioner in Fiji would be matched by the immediate expulsion from New Zealand of the acting high commissioner for Fiji," he wrote.

"Such a situation would be deeply disappointing to the New Zealand Government."