13 Dec 2010

Diplomatic tensions between Fiji and the US on the rise

6:48 am on 13 December 2010

The United States Ambassador to Fiji, Steven McGann, was summoned to a meeting with Foreign Affairs officials in Fiji on Saturday.

The discussions followed the cancellation of Fiji's annual Coalition of Human Rights march on Friday.

Fiji's Information Ministry said the cancellation was because of a baseless advisory to American citizens from the embassy claiming that assembled groups may become unruly.

This diplomat tensions come barely two weeks after a government minister, the Chief Justice and a senior official were denied entry into the United States.

The Fiji Sun newspaper quotes the interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama as saying the warning over the march indicates that the US Government is not committed to its assurance of assisting Fiji.

He said the US Government was slowly following the bullying tactics used by the New Zealand and Australian governments.