Travel ban on top Fijians lifted

CANBERRA will announce the lifting today of all travel bans on top Fijians.

CANBERRA will announce the lifting today of all travel bans on top Fijians, which have become the most bitter cause of resentment against Australian among the Suva leadership.

This completes the normalisation of relations with Fiji that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop began when she flew to Suva for a Valentine’s Day meeting with the Prime Minister and leader of the 2006 coup, Frank Bainimarama.

On Friday, Mr Bainimarama — who earlier this month quit his role as military commander — announced Fiji would hold a nat­ional election on September 17, enabling its return to civilian rule.

Ms Bishop will confirm in Perth today, alongside Tony Abbott, the lifting of all travel restrictions, which have been in place for more than seven years.

The restrictions have applied to Mr Bainimarama, ministers, military personnel and their families, and other government appointees including the judiciary.

Ms Bishop had told Mr Bainimarama that the restrictions — originally imposed under John Howard following the 2006 coup — would be reviewed, and had already directed that they should be applied selectively.

She told The Australian that when the travel bans were imposed, the Howard cabinet thought they were an appropriate response to the military coup, sending a message to the region, which at that time supported them, as did other “like-minded” countries. “But it lost its effectiveness, and we want anyway to rebuild our ties,” Ms Bishop said.

The Foreign Minister said that other countries were taking Australia’s lead, with New Zealand to consider lifting sanctions following her discussions with Prime Minister John Key, and with the US proposing a senior level meeting with Mr Bainimarama.

She said that she had argued during the recent Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka that Fiji, which was suspended from the organisation, should be allowed to compete in July’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“The organisation had been determined not to lift any such bans until after the election is held — but has now changed its mind, I’m pleased to say,” Ms Bishop said.

In announcing the election date last week, the Fiji government also said that Australians would be involved as observers. “That’s taking things quite some way for us,” she said.

Next month, Australian Defence Force officials will visit Fiji and Peter Varghese, secretary of the Department of Foreign ­Affairs and Trade, will meet his counterpart in Suva.

A government-business working group including representatives from both countries is being re-established, and Fiji is being considered as a source of seasonal workers.

Ms Bishop said she had ­decided to pursue normalisation of ties by easing travel restrictions while she was in opposition, after spending time with businesspeople and others highly engaged with Fiji.

The Foreign Minister said she had formed a close relationship with her Fijian counterpart Inoke Kubuabola, and had already told him about the decision to end the sanctions.

She said the Prime Minister was also writing to Mr Bainimarama to inform him formally.