5 Apr 2007

US stops Fiji moving forward - says Bainimarama

10:40 am on 5 April 2007

Fiji's interim prime minister, Commodore Bainimarama, says the decision by the United States embassy to revoke his visitor's visa and those of others in the interim administration stops Fiji from moving forward.

The Fijilive news website says Commodore Bainimarama has confirmed that he received a letter from the American ambassador Larry Dinger confirming that his visa had been cancelled.

He says he was asked to take his passport to the embassy in Suva.

Commodore Bainimarama says he is not going to waste his time taking his passport to the embassy because they can always cancel it in their system.

He says others in the interim administration have also received similar letters informing them that their visas had been cancelled.

Commodore Bainimarama says Australia, New Zealand and Japan have also barred interim ministers from entering their countries.

He says Fiji is in the Pacific and isolated, and these countries are taking advantage of the situation.